French Police Remove Demonstrators Supporting Gaza Students
In Paris, riot police forcibly removed pro-Palestinian protesters who were participating in a sit-in at France’s prestigious Sciences Po University. The protesters had occupied some buildings to demand that the university sever ties with Israel over its actions in the Gaza Strip. After being removed from the university, some groups of protesters headed to the Panthéon to continue their demonstration. Similar pro-Palestinian protests have been occurring on university campuses in various countries, including the US, in recent days.
In Paris, dozens of riot police entered the buildings on Friday morning to remove the protesters. They encountered defiant protesters, one of whom stated that they had defied an ultimatum to leave within 20 minutes. Paris police reported that “91 people were removed without incident.” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s office expressed determination to handle such protests firmly.
Sciences Po responded to the sit-in by closing its main buildings on Friday. The university spokesperson noted that some of its campuses in Reims, Le Havre, and Poitiers were also affected by protests. Similar demonstrations took place in Lyons and Lille. However, the protests in France have been more contained compared to those in the US, where police dismantled days-long camps set up at several universities and arrested hundreds of people.
Meanwhile, Israel has faced increasing criticism for conditions in the Gaza Strip. A UN-backed assessment revealed that 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic hunger, with famine imminent in northern Gaza. Volker Türk, the UN’s most senior human rights official, suggested that Israel may be using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Israel denies limiting aid deliveries and blames the UN for failing to distribute aid to those in need.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October. The conflict resulted in about 1,200 deaths and over 250 people being taken hostage. Since then, more than 34,600 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal that would release remaining hostages in Gaza. Mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas to the proposed deal, which reportedly involves a 40-day ceasefire and the release of more than 30 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
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