Over the past few days, several French universities have witnessed a wave of student protests in support of Gaza and against a controversial legislative proposal known as the “Yadan Law”, aimed at combating antisemitism. The bill, soon to be debated in France’s parliament, has ignited fierce debate and unrest across the country’s academic circles.
✍️| by Ms.Fatemeh Anisi
Campus Unrest Across French Universities
Student mobilizations have led to accusations of excessive police intervention and tightened security measures. Circulating videos on social media reveal tense scenes within university grounds.
According to Monte‑Carlo Doualiya, a group of students entered the famous Boutmy Amphitheater at Sciences Po Paris, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs that read “Israel is a murderer.” Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “We are all antifascists” and “We are all children of Gaza.” The tense atmosphere forced the professor to leave and the lectures to be suspended.
Meanwhile, at the Sorbonne University, dozens of students gathered in the courtyard, erecting tents and chanting messages like “Palestine will live” and “Palestine will prevail.”
The Yadan Law at the Center of Controversy
The protests emerged in response to the draft Yadan Law, which seeks to counter antisemitism and prevent incitement to violence or terrorism. The proposal contains several contentious articles.
Key provisions include:
- Any direct or indirect incitement to terrorism could be treated as a criminal offense.
- The creation of a new crime: “advocacy for the destruction of a state.”
- Certain forms of political expression that may be interpreted as supporting violent groups or threatening a state could be subject to prosecution.
Critics—particularly among student protesters—argue that the proposal blurs the line between criticism of Israel or Zionism and antisemitism, potentially curtailing freedom of expression, especially regarding Palestine.
One participating student stated: “This law indirectly targets any support for Palestinians or any criticism of Israel.”
Another added: “The Yadan Law aimed to silence us, but instead it reignited the Palestinian movement. We must resist it.”
In a statement circulated on social media, student organizers declared:
“We are continuously occupying Sciences Po, the Sorbonne, and CentraleSupélec to demand the withdrawal of the Yadan Bill.”
Security Tensions and Police Response
French media report that after Sciences Po’s entrances were closed, security forces intervened. University management summoned the police, who began checking the identities of participants, calling the student action “illegal and intimidating.”
Conversely, circulating videos show armed officers entering university grounds—images that activists say exemplify “excessive use of force” against student demonstrators and have sparked a nationwide discussion on the police response.
Freedom of Expression and a Divided Society
Amid this debate, France remains deeply divided over the boundaries of free expression and the distinction between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. Public and political pressure continues to mount as parliament prepares to deliberate on the controversial bill.
According to participating students, these protests coincided with the departure of the “Resistance Flotilla” from Barcelona, Spain—a convoy sailing toward Gaza despite Israel’s ongoing blockade of the territory.