Students occupying Paris Sorbonne deplore 'fake choice' in French election runoff

Several hundred students are blocking university buildings in Paris in a bid to bring ecological and social issues to the fore in the lead up to the French presidential runoff on 24 April. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was able to trample the left-wing vote last Sunday and claim a place in the second round against centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron

Students gather in front of the Sorbonne University in Paris on 14 April, 2022. AFP - EMMANUEL DUNAND

"Who does the Sorbonne belong to? Us," chanted students gathering in front of the university – famed for the May 1968 protests – on Thursday.

Students began occupying the building on Wednesday to denounce a "fake choice" between Macron and Le Pen in the runoff in 10 days' time. It was still "partially occupied" on Thursday according to the university's head of communications.

The occupation followed a general assembly meeting at the Sorbonne on Wednesday, attended by close to 500 students.

"We're not giving instructions on how to vote but, on the other hand, we're calling for mobilisation, a blockade, action", chanted the participants.

On m'envoie une vidéo des toits de la Sorbonne à l'instant pic.twitter.com/39uXv9fc0b

— Les Étudiants Vont Bien #NiMacronNiLePen 💉💉💉 (@VontBien) April 14, 2022

Many of the young people had voted for the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round of the presidential election.

"It's a youth mobilisation, a revolt in reaction to the line-up," Victor Mendez, president of the Unef Nanterre student union, told AFP.

"We're fed up of becoming more precarious and the future we're facing because of the state of the planet," he said. 

Énorme #mobilisation étudiante #antifasciste en cours à la #Sorbonne. #paris #secondtour #manifestation pic.twitter.com/mJZQRAv3gd

— Bulle 🐤 (@Giing59) April 13, 2022

"We're afraid that the two candidates will not take into account the issues that we consider crucial such as racist, islamophobic and sexist violence, the climate and the urgent need to act in the face of the IPCC report in particular," said Martin Labat, a student of sustainability science.

"We are blocking because we are in a political impasse. The candidates qualified for the second round of the presidential election completely ignore our priorities," he said.

"They are ecological, social justice, feminist and anti-racist priorities. It's up to us to talk about them".

Students gather in front of the Sorbonne, 14 April 2022. Some are protesting against the far right candidate Marine Le Pen, others against the lack of consideration for climate change and student precariousness during the election campaign. © Lucia Valentin/RFI

'No to the far right'

Some 150 students also gathered in front of Sciences Po Paris on Thursday, blocking access to the prestigious school of political sciences. The principal said classes had been shifted online. 

Banners read "no space for facists" and "no to the far right".

"We've had enough of this society that fears women in face veils, listens to Zemmour on TV," protestors chanted, referring to the anti-Islam far-right candidate who scored 7 percent in the first round.

Students also blocked the entrances to the Sciences Po campus in Nancy, eastern France, on Wednesday, preventing professors, students and the administration from entering.

(with wires)

Read also:

• Sorbonne to restage play branded racist
• Mélenchon turns kingmaker as Macron and Le Pen pitch for his left-wing votes