Barely a month after his appointment as interim administrator of Sciences Po, Jean Bassères hit hard. At his request, on the night of Wednesday, April 24, to Thursday, April 25, several dozen CRS intervened inside the facility to evict about sixty students who had organized a sit-in since the afternoon at the call of the Palestine Sciences Po Committee, which has around a hundred members and was founded in November 2023 during the intensification of the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
The action came a day after an unprecedented mobilization in support of Palestine at the University of American Columbia in New York, an institution that offers dual degrees with Sciences Po.
On Wednesday evening, Sciences Po’s interim administrator, who has been in office since March 27 following the resignation of Mathias Vicherat – referred to the criminal court with his ex-partner for acts of domestic violence – consulted with the minister of higher education “to share with him my desire to use public force (AND) the Minister assured him of her support in this decision.declares k World accompanied by Sylvie Retailleau.
In a press release, management regrets “that numerous attempts at dialogue to get the students to leave the premises peacefully did not allow finding a way out of this situation”. In contrast, the Palestine Sciences Po Committee shows its determination: “We do not intend to remain silent, the fight for justice in Palestine obliges us. We are not afraid »warns in a press release.
Mr. Bassères acted with the support of the government, especially since his plan was largely dictated by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, under which the Paris school would follow “a form of slope, drift, associated with an active and dangerous minority”. In his crosshairs: the Palestine Sciences Po Committee, which called for the occupation of the Emile-Boutmy amphitheater on March 12. Saying “Don’t let her in, she’s a Zionist” were reportedly heard in the amphitheater when the Jewish student introduced herself, which has yet to be confirmed by an internal investigation by management.
red line
The next day, Gabriel Attal was invited to the board of the National Political Science Foundation to announce that it would be up to the interim administrator“turn this tilt to secure respect for the republican principle at all times and everywhere”. Deans and directors of research centers protested against this attack on the principle of academic freedom.
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