Located less than a hundred meters from each other, Sciences Po Lille and the Lille School of Journalism (ESJ) have been blocked since Thursday May 2 in the morning, simply separated by a cordon of police officers, not very provided. The decision to join the movement of other IEPs and universities in France in support of the population of Gaza was taken on 1er May, in the nearby public garden. There were students from the IEP of Lille, the ESJ but also from Lille universities who discussed at length to adopt a common text and get organized.
At dawn on Thursday, a first attempt to block Sciences Po was prevented by police forces who were patrolling and used two tear gas grenades, according to a police officer on site, to disperse the demonstrators. They quickly reached the ESJ, in front of which they placed large trash cans and barriers and blocked the entrance with chains. No intrusion was observed in the two establishments.
Early in the morning, Sciences Po decided not to open its premises and to cancel the midterms planned the day before: it was therefore in front of the ESJ that the demonstrators set up, reinforced by others from Lille universities and the France Palestine Solidarity Committee. A total of a hundred people chanting slogans: “When we murder children of Gaza and Palestine, it is humanity that we are murdering! », “Immediate ceasefire!” ». Hanging on walls or placed on trash cans, signs demand “more ethics on our sets” or point out that, according to Journalists Without Borders, “ more than 100 journalists died in Gaza » since October 7. They accuse: “Criminal Israel, Emmanuel Macron complicit. »
End of partnerships
“Basically, we are in continuity with all the mobilizations taking place elsewhere”poses Maël (the first names have been changed at the request of the students), “but as future journalists, we are shocked at the way the media is handling this drama”. Paul speaks of “double standards in empathy”and denounces the fact that “anyone who seeks to defend the Palestinians is suspected of anti-Semitism. Debates should be about facts. » For Myriam, “the war is more and more violent, more and more terrifying. We only see the situation getting worse. » She demands “ the end of partnerships between [s]we establish [Science Po] and the universities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem », which plan exchanges of master’s students from the next school year.
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