Protesters angry over Israel’s war on Gaza have gathered at Sorbonne University in Paris, chanting “Free Palestine” at the university’s gates while some students set up tents in the courtyard.
Days after similar protests at the elite Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), Monday’s gathering at the Sorbonne was the latest sign that demonstrations on United States campuses were spilling over to Europe as Israel’s devastating war on Gaza is in its seventh month.
The protests were peaceful as students urged the institution – one of the world’s oldest universities – to condemn Israel’s actions.
Police worked to secure the street with the Sorbonne’s main entrance as they faced a group of about 50 students.
Several French politicians – including Mathilde Panot, who heads the hard left LFI group of lawmakers in the National Assembly – urged their supporters to join the Sorbonne protests.