News from Civsy, based on human monitoring, generative AI tools and retrieval-augumented real time data searchA high-profile cancellation at France's Collège de France marked a particularly unusual political intervention in academic programming. On November 8, 2025, the institution cancelled the conference "Palestine and Europe: The Weight of the Past and Contemporary Dynamics," scheduled for November 13-14. The event was co-organized with the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, a Qatar-funded research institution.
Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste supported the cancellation, while the Collège de France cited obligations to ensure "security of persons and property" and maintain "strict neutrality" regarding political questions. Invited scholars, including François Burgat, who had previously faced legal scrutiny over his social media statements about Hamas, were subject to public criticism, with opponents labeling the event a potential "anti-Zionist fair". Scholars noted such decisions have been rare in the institution's modern history, with one reference to Ernest Renan's course suspension in 1862.
Orchestra Disruption and Artist Response
On November 7, 2025, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's concert at the Philharmonie de Paris was disrupted three times by pro-Palestinian protesters who set off smoke bombs and red flares inside the venue. Four people were detained following the incident, and the musicians temporarily left the stage before returning to complete the performance. More than 1,500 artists had signed an October 15 letter calling for cancellation, though the venue director maintained that "artists cannot be held accountable for the actions of their governments".
The following month, dozens of French artists organized a counter-response. On December 9, 2025, the charity concert "Together for Palestine" at Zénith de Paris featured performers including Yann Tiersen, Pomme, and Aloïse Sauvage, raising €50,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières' Gaza Emergency fund.
Asylum Program Suspension
French authorities confirmed on January 13, 2026, the indefinite suspension of the Pause emergency asylum program for Gazan applications. Initially suspended in August 2025 after one scholarship recipient posted allegedly antisemitic social media content, the program remained frozen as of late January 2026. At least 21 Gazan Pause recipients, including poets, filmmakers, architects, and researchers, remain trapped in Gaza, unable to evacuate despite having been awarded French government scholarships.
Marion Slitine, founder of the Maan collective supporting Palestinian artists, characterized this as "a blatant act of discrimination, linked to geographical origin, blocking potential witnesses of the continuing massacres in Gaza from leaving the territory". Anthropologist Didier Fassin from the Collège de France criticized the decision, while the program continues for artists from Ukraine, Iran, and other conflict zones.
France has suspended emergency asylum for Gazan artists and scholars while maintaining programs for Ukraine and Iran.
On November 8, 2025, the Collège de France cancelled the "Palestine and Europe" conference following pressure from Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste. The next day, protesters disrupted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's Paris concert with smoke bombs, leading to four arrests.
French artists organized a counter-response: the December 9 "Together for Palestine" concert at Zénith de Paris raised €50,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières' Gaza fund.
Most concerning is France's January 2026 decision to indefinitely suspend the Pause program for Gazan applicants. At least 21 poets, filmmakers, architects, and researchers remain trapped in Gaza despite having been awarded French government scholarships.
Marion Slitine of the Maan collective called this "a blatant act of discrimination, linked to geographical origin, blocking potential witnesses of the continuing massacres in Gaza from leaving the territory."
#ArtisticFreedom #Gaza #Palestine #France #CulturalCensorship #AcademicFreedom #AsylumRights #HumanRights #Censorship #FreeSpeech
References:
Collège de France official website - Cancellation announcement of "Palestine and Europe" symposium (November 13, 2025)[college-de-france]
Le Point - Report on Collège de France conference cancellation after criticism of pro-Palestinian orientation (November 8, 2025)[lepoint]
CNN - "Flares, smoke and clashes disrupt Israeli orchestra's Paris concert" (November 7, 2025)[cnn]
The New York Times - "4 Arrested Over Disruption of Israeli Orchestra's Concert" (November 7, 2025)[nytimes]
The National News - "France accused of discrimination against Gazan artists waiting for evacuation" (January 26, 2026)[thenationalnews]
The National News - "Gazan artists distraught over French decision to pause evacuations after antisemitism row" (August 5, 2025)[thenationalnews]
Pasdemerde.com - "Two Paris concerts rally support and raise funds for Palestine" (December 9, 2025)[pasdemerde]
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - "Together for Palestine: rendez-vous le 9 décembre pour un concert en soutien à la Palestine" (November 24, 2025)[msf]
Offi.fr - Concert listing for "Together for Palestine" at Zénith (December 8, 2025)[offi]
Anadolu Agency - "French scholar recounts legal backlash over Israel criticism" - article on François Burgat (October 12, 2024)[aa.com]
Alkarama - "Joint statement in solidarity with French researcher François Burgat" (April 13, 2025)[alkarama]
BRICUP - "Some background to the scandal of the cancelled conference in France" - mentions 1862 Renan precedent (August 25, 2024)[bricup.org]
Wikipedia - Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (France) - Philippe Baptiste appointment details[en.wikipedia]
La Vie - Interview with Didier Fassin on Gaza (September 5, 2024)[lavie]
Collège de France Archives blog - Historical information about the institution's founding[archibibscdf.hypotheses]
