Student break canceled

Léo, a second-year mathematics student at the University of Paris 8 in Saint-Denis, expressed frustration after learning that his scheduled university break, set to begin on Friday, had been canceled. The decision came after nearly three weeks of administrative closure due to blockades and occupation by activists.

University aims to recover lost time

Two of his professors announced the change following the university's reopening on Tuesday morning, aiming to make up for lost instructional time during the mobilization. In mathematics, courses had not been conducted remotely, with students receiving only a few course sheets and a single exercise sheet over three weeks.

Some students feel penalized

Some non-mobilized students feel penalized twice: first by the blockades and the university's refusal to shift classes online, and now by the canceled break. In a message sent on October 8, the mathematics department had already reserved the right to cancel the break, stating they would attempt to make up lost time in the middle or end of the semester.

Uncertainty about classroom availability

Professors noted that the week of pedagogical pause (October 26–31) could be used for this purpose. However, before delivering classes during the break, professors must ensure that classrooms are available, which remains uncertain. The university was briefly reopened on Tuesday but was blocked again on Wednesday, October 21.

Students felt abandoned

Over the past three weeks, students had to check their emails daily to determine if they could return the next day. Léo said he felt largely abandoned, noting there was only one video call to ask questions, with minimal contact otherwise.

Campus occupation caused damage

During the occupation of the campus from October 12 to 16, left-wing militants reportedly caused damage to the university. After repeated closures since September 15 due to successive blockades, the university experienced intrusions leading to its occupation and significant damage.

University reported material damage

In an internal email shared on X by economics professor Gilles Raveaud on October 16, the university noted increased material damage, including broken doors, damaged surveillance systems, and threatening inscriptions targeting the institution and its staff. The university also mentioned incidents such as walking on rooftops, accessing risky technical areas, obstructing fire safety personnel, triggering alarms, and disabling extinguishers.

Aggressions reported

Additionally, several aggressions were reported, including physical violence between students and incidents that could constitute sexual and gender-based violence. The university filed a complaint after the occupation but did not publicly condemn these actions.