Students Continue Occupation of Amphitheater, Administration Reopens Campus

Students enter campus following its reopening at 10:00 a.m.

By Maddie Covino

After a General Assembly held at Sciences Po Campus of Reims voted in favor of “occupation for unlimited time of amphi LS01 with an open letter demanding to see the legal conditions for occupations,” students arrived at Place Museux this morning to find the doors of the campus closed. Approximately 45 students spent the evening inside the building negotiating with members of the campus administration.

However, despite the closure of Sciences Po Campus de Reims from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. this morning, in an email sent to students campus director Tilman Turpin announced the reopening of the school at 10:00 a.m.

In addition to the students gathered inside of LS01, a group of individuals also gathered outside of the Rue Eugene Wiet entrance to Sciences Po (the entrance closest to the amphitheater) last night in solidarity with the students occupying. Second year student Alexandra approximates that around twenty students met at 10:30 p.m. with food, blankets, medication and other resources for the students inside the amphitheater. However, the administration initially would not allow these supplies on campus and insisted that students vacate the school in order to acquire them. This position was changed after negotiations.

Second year student Jake Jackowski was contacted by a friend inside of the amphitheater, and he notes that “students were allowed around 1-1:30 a.m. in the morning to bring industrial, packaged dry food products to the occupiers. Water and other drinks were not allowed. Outside the back entrance, students gathered the supplies, then Deputy Campus Director and Head of Academic Affairs Olivier Chopin and other administrators selected and approved every food item that was allowed in to the occupiers and brought it inside the campus to them.”

Supplies for occupying students arranged outside of campus last night.

Juliette Briey, a student currently inside the amphitheater, told The Sundial Press that the food received around 2:00 a.m. was mostly bread and fruit, as it could not have been cooked or prepared. Moreover, the food received was not sufficient to feed the students present, thus members of the occupation have been rationing their consumption. Despite the reopening of campus, students’ bags are being searched for any food products prior to entering campus.

The occupation of Amphitheater LS01 began at the conclusion of the General Assembly and will continue indefinitely until an agreement with administration officials is reached. An open letter was addressed to Turpin, in accordance with a vote taken during the General Assembly. The letter states that “No law stipulates that the occupation of a room automatically leads to the complete blockade of a campus.” The students went on the reiterate their desire for peaceful discussion and stated that “we will not stand in the way of their education and the continuation of classes.”

Turpin concluded his email this morning with a reminder to the mobilized students that “the administration has banalized, since yesterday, a room dedicated to debate and exchange. We sincerely hope that this solution will be used in the following days.”