Sapienza University Occupied as Pro-Palestine Protests Escalate Ahead of Rome Exhibition
ROME - Students at Sapienza University in Rome have begun occupying teh faculty of political science to protest the ongoing conflict in Palestine and express support for the Global Sumud Flotilla. The action,initiated by Udu,the union of university students,alongside other student groups,signals a broadening wave of pro-Palestinian activism across Italian universities,timed to coincide with a large demonstration planned in Rome next Saturday focusing on Gaza.
The occupation and planned protests follow heightened tensions stemming from the Flotilla case and warnings of potential disruptions,prompting Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to convene prefects and police chiefs. Udu has called for assemblies, occupations, and political actions at universities nationwide, demanding Italian universities sever ties with Israeli academic institutions they accuse of complicity in genocide.
“What happens in Gaza is a crime against humanity,” stated udu representatives. “We can no longer accept silence, nor the rhetoric of neutrality. Our universities must break any collaboration with Israeli academic institutions accomplices of genocide, and to stand on the side of justice and human rights.”
The student groups are also voicing support for nonviolent resistance to the blockade of Gaza. They describe the Sapienza occupation as the beginning of a sustained effort to mobilize university spaces against indifference and advocate for “free, critical, decolonized knowledge.”
According to Udu, further university occupations and demonstrations are planned throughout Italy in the coming days.
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