Paris, May 22: Students at ENS Paris have erected an encampment in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, protesting Israel’s ongoing offensive and the university’s connections with Israeli institutions. Around 40 students initiated the encampment by setting up tents, symbolically renaming the area in memory of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in the conflict earlier this year.
Hind Rajab tragically lost her life on January 29 after her family’s car came under Israeli army fire in Gaza City. Her death sparked international outrage and has now become a focal point for protesters at ENS Paris.
The demonstrators displayed pro-Palestinian signs denouncing Israel’s attacks and the university’s collaboration with Israel. They adorned the walls of ENS with banners bearing the names of Palestinians killed in Israeli assaults on Gaza since October 7 last year.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the university’s response to the situation, protesters demanded an end to ENS’s ties with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. One protester, Gedeon, highlighted the administration’s swift action in support of Ukrainian academics but criticized the lack of similar initiatives for Gaza academics, citing what he termed a “real educational genocide.”
This encampment at ENS Paris is part of a broader trend of pro-Palestine campus protests, echoing similar actions at Columbia University in New York since April 17. Demonstrations and sit-ins are also underway across European campuses, including in the Netherlands and Switzerland, condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.
According to Palestinian health authorities, Israel’s attacks in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 people, predominantly women and children, with more than 79,000 others injured. The conflict has caused extensive damage to infrastructure and led to critical shortages of necessities in the Gaza Strip.
The International Court of Justice has leveled accusations of genocide against Israel, issuing an interim ruling demanding an end to genocidal acts and ensuring the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians.
