Rome, because the students of La Sapienza University protest and clash with the police

Tension is very high at La Sapienza University of Rome. The students, around 300, clashed with the police, and the outcome is alarming: several injured, including some police officers, students contained with batons and shields and two arrested. One of them was stopped after damaging a police car, while a girl allegedly attacked a police officer during an attempt to break into the police station. This morning, for the two of them, the immediate trial.

The reasons for the protest

The protests are linked to research agreements with Israel. The meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) and the Academic Senate had been awaited for a few days to discuss these agreements.

The appeal

2,500 students, researchers, administrators and 150 university teachers had launched an appeal asking the Academic Senate to suspend the agreements with Israeli universities. «We ask for the suspension, not the cancellation, of these agreements, and we send any idea of ​​racism and anti-Semitism back to the sender. We ask stop the scientific agreements between Sapienza and the armaments industry, we will consider it desirable that all the rectors resign from the Med'or foundation, including the rector of La Sapienza University, Polimeni (accused for months, by the pro-Gaza collectives, of not wanting to adequately discuss with the students and of not taking a position on the war in the Middle East, ed.). Finally, we call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

In particular, the appeal refers to an agreement between the Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (Most) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Maeci), to finance research projects between the two countries in various scientific fields. The initiative has been highly criticized because, according to students, professors and researchers, would risk financing technologies dual usei.e. usable for both civil and military purposes.

The position of the Academic Senate

But the Academic Senate and the Board of Directors of Sapienza, at the end of a joint session, while promoting measures in favor of Palestinian university students and other humanitarian initiatives, drafted a document that responds to the appeal, which expresses “pain and horror for military escalation”, but yesrejects «the idea that the boycott of international scientific collaborationthe renunciation of the freedom of teaching and research, and the denial of the associated responsibilities of each individual researcher can promote peace and respect for human dignity”.

Political support

The Minister of the University, Anna Maria Berniniexpressed his closeness to the rector and the position of the Academic Senate: «What is happening at La Sapienza University is shameful. Legitimate protest can never lead to violence and abuse. The Senate's decision highlights that the academic community does not accept impositions from a minority that would like to isolate Italian universities from the international context. Research cannot be boycotted».

The prime minister is also on the same side Giorgia Meloni who, on social media, wrote: «For the violence of the collectives: this is not demonstrating, but crime».