Police Action, General Assemblies, Online Arguments – What Happened on March 21?

On March 21, mobilized students blocked access to campus, calling on the administration to take a public stance on the conflict in Palestine and Israel. Their demands included a formal statement recognizing the conflict, investigating partnerships with Israeli universities “directly or indirectly” involved in the conflict, suspending all disciplinary sanctions taken against mobilized students, and implementing support measures for students directly affected by the conflict.

The blockade came just days after Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas and launched a wave of attacks across the Gaza Strip that killed more than 400 people. It also occurs “in response to the escalation of repression”, mainly referring to the police removal of occupying students from the Paris campus on March 18 and March 20.

Early in the morning, students were informed of the blockade by an email from Crystal Cordell, the director of the Reims campus. Around 8 a.m., mobilized students shared a message on campus group chats outlining the reasons for the blockade and the movement’s demands, along with a link to an open letter to Luis Vassy and the Paris administration “to show [student] support for freedom and peace in Palestine.”

The group chats of both first and second year students quickly devolved into a heated discussion about the legitimacy and efficiency of the blockade. Students called for a more inclusive method of voting for protest actions than the General Assemblies which often gather only 20-30 students. Around 10 a.m., the student representatives shared a Google Form “to evaluate the general sentiment regarding the blockade.” At noon, of the 450 students who had voted, 51% said they “want blockades to continue until [the protestors’] demands are met”.

These results were welcomed by the blockaders as more than 90 students gathered for the noon General Assembly in front of the campus. However, the discussions at the Assembly showcased the disagreements present even among those who support the movement’s demands. Students shared ways to make the movement more impactful such as acting jointly with other campuses or utilizing multiple avenues of action. Still, others expressed concern that the blockades would not influence the administration’s position. Some movement leaders interrupted students expressing diverging opinions with argumentative remarks. After the blockade, an organizer said that discussions would be held to discourage combative interjections and ensure that the General Assemblies truly welcome all opinions without derision. The Assembly concluded with 4 students abstaining from voting, 84 voting for continuing the blockade, and none voting against.

At 3 p.m., results from the poll shared by the student representatives indicated 49.4% support for continuing the blockades, while 10.5% voted that they support neither the blockades nor the demands. The rest of the 579 respondents expressed some degree of support for the demands, but not the blockade.

Meanwhile, law enforcement had arrived on campus. An Instagram live and videos shared on WhatsApp groups showed police officers with shields pressing students away from the blockade and towards Rue du Barbâtre. Some students incurred bruises as police officers dragged them from the campus door. Police officers in formation stopped at the intersection of Rue du Barbâtre and Rue Saint-Maurice, holding the line with riot shields. Students followed law enforcement directions and did not attempt to get past them. The protestors chanted pro-Palestinian slogans until the police started to move back towards campus and the mobilized students eventually resumed their position at the campus door. The trash bins previously blocking the door had been removed by police officers in the interim. Police officers also threw out materials like posters, pins, and keffiyehs that the mobilized students were selling to raise funds for an organization providing medical aid in Palestine.

Around 4 p.m., a second wave of police officers returned. This time, they aggressively pushed students with riot shields. As police rapidly pressed forward, some students fell to the ground. The police allegedly hit students with batons and some students later shared pictures of bruising. Mobilized students were once again pushed towards Rue du Barbâtre and decided to disperse due to the large number of police officers present. Pictures from the incident show at least 20 police officers present, with additional officers not directly involved in dispersing the students stationed in at least five police cars on the nearby roads.

Around 20 students not involved in the blockade witnessed the police action from the nearby roads or the Saint Maurice bar. Some of the observers felt that the police presence was disproportionate to the number of mobilized students and their non-violent action. Moreover, students were concerned about the presence of Brigade anti-criminalité, which they felt is usually reserved for more serious public infractions. Other witnesses, however, described the police as being “mostly chill.”

Around 6 p.m., Crystal Cordell sent an email to the campus community informing that “law enforcement intervened on public roads to lift the blockade and reopen access to the campus” and that “the campus is reopened as of now.” Meanwhile, the survey from the student representatives, which by then had gathered the opinions of 636 students, indicated that 48.9% supported the continuation of blockades until demands are met. But, many students noted that opinions might have changed after the aggressive police action.

In a General Assembly that met online at 7 p.m., around 270 students gathered to engage in discussion about the events that had taken place that day. The debate continued for more than two hours, with multiple votes on possible further action taking place. A majority of the attendees favored continued action. There were, nevertheless, diverging views on how best to utilize the momentum they felt was present after the day’s events.

While organizers emphasize their wish for united action, division simmers beneath the surface. An “anti-blocus” WhatsApp group amassed almost 50 members by the end of the day. Members expressed diverging opinions of the legitimacy of the police action, with some welcoming the arrival of police while others expressed concern for potentially injured students. Another point of tension has emerged on the legitimacy of certain forums. Despite their low attendance relative to the student body, movement organizers viewed only the General Assembly votes as binding, while students not actively involved in the movement see the form from the student representatives as more accurately showcasing student opinion.

Responding to a request for comment, Crystal Cordell said that “the repeated blockades have provoked negative reactions among local officials. The city already expressed strong discontent regarding the blockade [of] Place Museux and the city has the authority to enforce order in public spaces. It exercised that authority today.” She outlined the negative effects of the blockade on student and staff well-being and emphasized the need for the “campus as a safe space.” With the blockade taking place one day before a set of midterm exams, campus staff “are committed to ensuring students take their exams serenely.”

This article concerns the events of March 23, 2025. Further protests took place on the night of March 24 and on March 25. Further updates will be published as they come.