Nanterre. Four students tried for violence at the university against security guards

By Emma Grivotte
Published on 14 Feb 21 at 17:48

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All four are between 19 and 24 years old. Ayoub, Selim, Bartholomew and Victor, students atParis-Nanterre University in the Hauts-de-Seine, will be tried in correctional Monday February 15, 2021. Vigils of the university accuse them of having committed violence on October 7, 2019. They denounce an obstacle to their trade union rights.

Supported by student and professional unions (CGT, FSU …), these activists ofA F call for a demonstration on Monday February 15, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. from Nanterre-University and up to the Nanterre court where the trial will take place. For Victor, this is not a first: in October 2020, the young man was released by the Court of Appeal after a police complaint against him in 2018.

Accused of violence

On October 7, 2019, Barthélémy and Victor were not invited to the Commission for Training and University Life (CFVU) where they are elected, “supposedly for computer error,” says Barthélémy. The students go there accompanied “by about thirty activists from the UNEF and university students, to be able to ensure that we can sit,” he explains.

But at the entrance a “ten, a dozen” security guards intervene: “We were simply prevented from entering. ” The defendants deny having committed any violence : “We had a golden rule in this mobilization: no degradation of the premises and obviously, no violence on the staff. “

Defense of “sans-facs”

The Commission took place during the “traditional campaign of sans-facs “ aiming to enroll in university the young people left behind. The week before, “sans-facs” and UNEF activists had occupied the administrative tower.

According to Barthélémy, the previous presidency “did not play the game of discussion and negotiation at all and followed one refusal after another. Since the CFVU is in charge of training and university life, it seemed essential to us to be able to fulfill our mandate and to be able to address this problem. “

A double trial

The June 2020 hearing, following complaints from the security guards, was postponed. The students indeed subpoenaed the deputy director of security, accusing him of “Offense of obstructing the trade union mandate”. According to them, the management gave the order to prevent UNEF activists from entering the building where the CFVU was located.

Considering that the two cases were linked, the Nanterre court decided to judge them together.

???????? THIS MONDAY FEBRUARY 15, WE WILL MEET AT 12:30 AT NANTERRE UNIVERSITY STATION FOR THE TRIAL OF VICTOR, SELIM, BARTH AND AYOUB! DEFENDING THE RIGHT TO STUDY IS NOT A CRIME AND IT IS WITH THE BROADEST POSSIBLE SOLIDARITY THAT WE MUST FACE IT ???????? pic.twitter.com/lStxixGLxf

– Ayoub de Almeida (@ayoubdealmeida) February 11, 2021

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