French police evacuated dozens of pro-Palestinian students from a building at the Paris Institute of Political Studies on Friday, as similar demonstrations and solidarity encampments took place across the United States.
On Thursday, tensions broke out near the elite Paris university, which counts President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal among its many famous alumni. Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrators faced each other in a standoff in the street outside Sciences Po. Riot police stepped in to separate the groups.
The protest ended peacefully as pro-Palestinian students agreed to leave.
On Friday, similar protests took place in some other universities across the country, including in Lille and Lyon.
The Prime Minister's Office said police had been requested to remove students from 23 sites on French campuses on Thursday and "all were evacuated within a few hours."
A police presence will be maintained near Sciences Po to prevent any further blockades, it said in a statement.
French police peacefully removed dozens of students from a building at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, who had gathered in support of Palestinians, echoing similar encampments and solidarity demonstrations across the United States.
Students waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of residents of Gaza, as Israel continues its offensive following the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that triggered the Israeli-Hamas war.
The Sciences Po building had been occupied since Thursday evening. The university administration had closed the main buildings and moved classes online.
Anti-Israel students were planning to hold a protest later Friday in front of the Pantheon monument, near the elite Sorbonne University, to call for an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
The protests are part of a wave of solidarity demonstrations that have taken place across the United States in recent days. In New York City, thousands of people marched through the streets on Thursday to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Similar protests have been held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and other cities.
The protests have been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised the protesters for standing up for human rights, while others have criticized them for being anti-Semitic.
It is important to note that the protests are not representative of all Americans. A recent poll found that 63% of Americans believe that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks. However, the poll also found that a majority of Americans believe that Israel should do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
