Jean-Luc Mélenchon calls for “putting Palestinian flags everywhere”
The leader of La Francia insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called on Friday “put up Palestinian flags whenever possible” on Tuesday, October 8, in reaction to a circular from the Minister of Higher Education, Patrick Hetzel, regarding the “maintaining order” at universities a few days before October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Hetzel justified this warning with a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations this week in Paris in front of Sciences Po and the Institute of Oriental Languages, actions that, in his opinion, “against the principles of neutrality and secularism”.
“It is an abuse of power”Mélenchon said during a political meeting in the capital. the minister “He says that since the university is secular, we should not talk about Gaza”but “Talking about geopolitics is not an attack on secularism”development.
“I ask young students to “rebel”, not to accept this ban”he continued, objecting that“At the university we are talking about adult citizens who are adults. (…) “So they say what they want, because we are in a free country.”.
“So I recommend that starting on the 8th [octobre] “We put Palestinian flags where we can, so that this person does not have the last word.”he added.
A few minutes later, Mr. Mélenchon also suggested that“A flag that we could put next to that of the Palestinians is that of Lebanon”where the Israeli army’s bombings against Hezbollah have left more than a thousand dead in the last ten days. “The Lebanese army has no means of combat and does not have the possibility of protecting its own borders”he lamented, judging that “It is total hypocrisy to say that Hezbollah poses a problem”.
“Hezbollah is a component of the Lebanese people and it is not up to us to decide who is a good component and who is bad”he insisted, emphasizing that “The Lebanese people have the right to sovereignty over their territory”. Before encouraging your troops again: “Raise Lebanese flags so that the Lebanese know that we have not forgotten them, that we did not abandon them to murder. [et] to the violence of the terrifying neighbor they have the misfortune of having at their side. »
