Yes. I am chained and I’m in hunger strike from today Wednesday 17 April the girls and boys of the collectives who since three days I’m in garrison with curtains within La Sapienza University. Between them Francesca Linistudent of Linguistic Mediation, e Lorenzo Cusmai, who studies Philosophy. “Our country is not yet willing to work to build the conditions for peacebut there is no more time – we read in an appeal written by the students – We are chained and on hunger strike in front of the rectorate of Sapienza because it is from the heart of the largest university in Europe that we get a step back from those who are complicit of a genocide can produce a important change“. The students ask for openness to dialogue on the part of the rector Antonella Polimeni and of the Academic Senate. In the statement released, the boys address “all those whose consciences are shaken by the terrible images of genocide in progress in Gaza, by the worrying condition faced by all Palestinian territories under continuous attack, and by the increasingly real possibility of one generalized escalation of the war in the Middle East and beyond.”
“We have arrived at the choice of this form of non-violent protest, after months of a heterogeneous and widespread mobilization which saw in various sectors of society a clear stance against wars, for a ceasefire, to stop the ongoing escalation which risks dragging the world into a third world war in pieces. All of this, however, has only corresponded to a worrying anti-democratic twist which in the most extreme cases has also translated into truncheons and repressive violence against students, many of the latest known events”, they add, explaining that they are on hunger strike “because our country is not yet willing to work to build the conditions for peace, but there’s no more time to wait. And we are chained and on hunger strike at the rectorate of Sapienza because it is from the heart of the largest university in Europe that getting a step back from those who are complicit in a genocide can produce an important change”.
“But from the top of the administration until today no positive signs have arrived. On the contrary, the Rector Antonella Polimeni insists on disqualify protests of students and in silencing the demands of the academic world which raises the ethical question of the military use of scientific research. An attitude, that of the Rector of Sapienza, which distracts from the crux of the issue that we would like to push under the carpet: the university, or rather its governance and primarily the Rector herself, have the blood on hands of the Palestinians” the demonstrators denounce, asking what “the Rector must do step back urgently, because in the face of the genocide of the Palestinian people and the risk of a generalized conflict, this is the only right choice” and they invite “all students, teachers, researchers and anyone in favor of peace to join us in the protests of recent days”.
At yesterday’s parade Tuesday 16 April in front of the La Sapienza University of Rome against collaboration between the universities and Israel had ended with clashes between police and students. Two university students arrested, a boy and a girl. According to the Police Headquarters, it all started when a group of around 300 protesters attempted to break into the Rectorate of La Sapienza University where the Academic Senate was taking place and were repelled by the officers in public order service. Other protesters organized a garrison in front of the Court of Rome in Piazzale Clodio in solidarity with the arrested students, who are being judged today.
Meanwhile, it’s tomorrow morning at 10 Crui expected, the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities. Tomorrow’s meeting in Rome is an ordinary monthly meeting and officially the question of the disputed call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for collaboration agreements between Italian and Israeli universities which is creating so much tension in universities is not on the agenda. But after yesterday’s clashes at the Sapienza University of Rome and the delicate situation that has been created in recent weeks in many Italian universities, the issue will certainly be discussed and most likely the center of the discussion will be a document on safety in universities which a Crui working group has been working on since March 15th.
