Procession for Palestine, Sapienza students charged by the police: two arrests

A group of students of the Sapienza University of Rome was charged by the police outside the university city while a march for Palestine was underway. Two boys were stopped and taken to the police station. Both were arrested, one for aggravated damage and the other for aggravated resistance. They will be tried directly tomorrow morning in Piazzale Clodio. After the charges, the students then moved to Piazzale del Verano, and are waiting for the arrested people to leave the police station. The police are in riot gear.

“During the procession they stopped two comrades, we want to reach the police station but the police prevent us from passing and charge the students – the students of the coordination of the collectives in a note, immediately after the charges – Furthermore the senate decides condemning the massacre and asking for ceasefire, but it’s just a statement to clear one’s conscience. Not a word about the agreements. No concrete intention to stop complicity with the genocide. The Senate’s response to our requests is shameful police charges“.

“Faced with the mobilization of today’s students, Sapienza’s response was once again an armored Academic Senate and the rapid response – the note from the FGC students -. The university is willing to load its own students rather than listen to the requests of thousands of students, researchers and teachers. The Rector assumes her responsibilities: immediate resignation!”

The students had announced the mobilization at the same time as the meeting of the Academic Senate, which they had asked to take sides against the genocide in Palestine. Also this morning, two students had chained themselves to the Rector’s office to ask for the “stop of the university’s agreements with Israel and the resignation of the rector Polimeni from the Med Or foundation”.

The Note of Wisdom

In the afternoon the Academic Senate ofLa Sapienza University of Rome approved a document condemning “military escalation in Palestine”, but refuses to suspend research agreements with Israeli research bodies. “First of all, the University Governing Bodies have represented, on behalf of the entire community, feelings of pain and horror for the military escalation and the consequent humanitarian crisis underway in Palestine”, reads the university note . “Sapienza rejects the idea that the boycott of international scientific collaboration, the renunciation of freedom of teaching and research, and the denial of the associated responsibilities of each individual researcher can promote peace and respect for human dignity. At the end of the joint session , The Academic Senate and the Board of Directors of Sapienza have recalled that the universalistic and free character of scientific research constitutes the condition of its very existence and the necessary premise for it to be transformed into an instrument of peaceful encounter, exchange and understanding between peoples and cultures”.