University union office vandalized and activists violently attacked in France

It “condemns in the strongest terms these unacceptable acts and wishes to strongly reaffirm its attachment to freedom of association”. The presidency of the University of Rennes-2 will make a report to the public prosecutor after an incident which occurred on Tuesday in a union office, she announced on Wednesday. “An altercation between activists, some of whom are from outside the university, took place on the Villejean campus. The union office of the FAHB (Federation of Associations of Upper Brittany, Editor’s note) was degraded and their activists were violently attacked, ”writes the presidency of the university.

“Activists from the FAHB (…) suffered unprecedented physical and psychological violence and our premises were ransacked and soiled before our eyes with the complicity of the Union Pirate”, another Rennes-2 union, said the FAHB, affiliated with FAGE (Federation of General Student Associations), in a press release.

Towards the filing of three complaints

Lola Blandin-Bourgeon, president of the FAHB, whose delegation was received Tuesday afternoon by the presidency, affirmed that three complaints had to be filed: one by an activist who “was served with seven days of ITT”, one by the president herself, in particular for physical and psychological pressure, a third for the damage suffered in the union office. “The FAHB’s accusations (…) are false,” said Union Pirate in a press release. The union “neither called nor participated in the invasion of their premises” but “immediately alerted the presidency of the University of the events in progress”.

“We deplore (…) this unfortunate event unrelated to the student elections and we call for an end to this electoral and political instrumentalization”, concludes the Union Pirate. These events took place in the context of the student representative elections, which opened on Monday. The two protagonists are represented in various instances of the University where the FAHB is in the minority.

“University campuses must remain places of teaching and research, dissemination of knowledge and debate, where verbal and physical violence have no place”, underlined the presidency of the university.