On November 20, 2024, Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) administrators denied the use of a lecture hall for a event with Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of France’s Parliament who is affiliated with the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, creating a high “risk of public order disturbances.”
A group of students had planned to host the lecture on November 22, and Hassan had planned to speak about an arms embargo on weapons sold to Israel. On November 12, the student organizers submitted a room reservation request for a lecture hall. On November 18, 4 days prior to the scheduled event, university director, Luis Vassy, denied the room reservation on the basis that it risked “disturbing public order.”
Shortly afterwards, Hassan filed an interim relief application with the Paris Administrative Court to contest the university’s decision. The administrative court sided with Hassan and declared that the university must allow for the lecture to continue. The university appealed the decision and on November 22, the Conseil d’État, or Council of State, overturned the Paris Administrative Court’s ruling. The decision effectively affirmed the university’s cancellation.
The university had canceled Hassan’s lecture twice previously, claiming that they could not guarantee security in light of the international context. Several other universities had cancelled or attempted to prevent similar events by Hassan, including at the University of Lille and Paris-Dauphine University.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about an attempt by higher education authorities to limit the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly on campus by denying a student group the space for a previously approved event. University authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with student expression and assembly, so long as it is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. University actions that limit the rights to free expression or association on campus have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241120-french-academic-institute-bans-pro-palestine-conference/
https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/une-conference-de-l-eurodeputee-lfi-rima-hassan-a-sciences-po-interdite-par-le-directeur-luis-vassy-19-11-2024-2575781_23.php
https://newsroom.sciencespo.fr/le-conseil-detat-confirme-la-decision-du-directeur-de-sciences-po-de-ne-pas-autoriser-une-conference-de-rima-hassan/
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241120-pro-palestinian-european-parliament-member-blasts-paris-university-for-cancelling-her-scheduled-conference/
https://www.conseil-etat.fr/site/Pages-internationales/english/news/the-urgent-applications-judge-of-the-conseil-d-etat-rules-not-to-suspend-the-refusal-by-the-director-of-sciences-po-paris-to-make-a-lecture-room-av
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/societe/education/l-interdiction-de-la-conference-de-rima-hassan-a-sciences-po-paris-est-justifiee-selon-le-conseil-d-etat_6926834.html
https://www.instagram.com/rimamobarak/p/DCrDXxPAaqB/?img_index=1