University students are staging pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses across Italy. Brawls between students protesting their universities’ relations with Israeli universities and counter-protesters have broken out in several cities, according to Italian media reports and social media video.
At the State University of Milan, a group the university named as the Lotta Communista or Communist Struggles group sparred with pro-Palestinian protesters who had set up an encampment in front of the main university hall on May 10. It is the second time this week the protesters came under attack, according to the Young Palestinians group.
The university rector Elio Franzini called for calm in a statement to students, in which he condemned “the acts of vandalism and verbal aggression and the occupation of internal spaces of the university which is undermining the ordinary programming of institutional activities to the detriment of the entire university community.”
In Rome, pro-Palestinian groups set up encampments at both La Sapienza and Roma Tre campuses this week, according to both universities’ public affairs offices. So far no violence or counter attacks have been reported in Rome.
In Turin, encampments at three universities are now in their second week. All three university encampments have come under attack. At the University of Tornio, the Young Palestinian Italia group published a list of demands, saying they will stay until the university administrators hear them out.
“We have drawn up a document, together with the academic body, which consists in the termination of any agreement [of] the Israeli university with our university,” the group said.
University of Tornio has several research projects with Israeli universities, the students said. “The agreements of the University of Turin are an integral part of the Palestinian genocide. The academic boycott is the only one tool to avoid being complicit in the war crimes of the state of Israel.”
At the Polytechnic of Turin, pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted a career fair on Tuesday, which included many companies the protesters said had Israeli ties.
The Turin universities have all responded by moving most of the academic programs online.
In Trento, protesters have interrupted classes. University of Trento rector Flavio Deflorian condemned the protests. “It is not a way to promote a serious debate. The occupation, although it is an understandable manifestation of dissent, also involves costs borne by the university and is not acceptable,” he said in a statement.
Protests and encampments are being held at universities in Genova, Florence and Naples.
