Hespress Outside the Borders Cartoon: Imad Al-Senuni Hespress – A.F. on Thursday, May 2, 2024 – 13:03
Today, Thursday, the French government asked university presidents to ensure “the preservation of order” in the face of the anti-war mobilization in Gaza, using “the maximum extent of the powers” available to them.
Since last week, numerous gatherings and sit-ins have been organized in France, on the campuses of the prestigious Sciences Po college and several universities. Which in some cases led to police intervention, in parallel with ongoing mobilization at many universities in the United States.
Today, Thursday, Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Ritayo asked university presidents to “use the maximum extent of the powers granted to them by the Education Law,” especially with regard to disciplinary sanctions or summoning security forces.
The minister reminded the presidents of the 74 public universities in France that they are “responsible for maintaining order on the university campus, and the police cannot enter except at the request of the university authority.”
Sylvie Ritayo also asked them to “ensure…pluralism of expression” within universities, and to “strengthen their systems to allow all discussions to take place in their institutions, in respect of the law, of course, as well as of people and ideas.”
The minister also indicated that it is possible to impose a “temporary ban on entering the institution” on students who threaten others.
Students supporting the Palestinian cause at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Paris are calling for the cancellation of “the college’s partnerships with universities and organizations supporting the State of Israel,” while the minister stressed that “there is no way for universities to take an institutional position in favor of this or that party,” as she put it.
Universities, French government, Gaza war
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