We are reopening this fund following a technical problem on our solidarity fund (caisse-solidarite.fr). Help us pay the lawyers' fees! Our lawyers' fees amount to nearly 20 000€ in invoices. This legal work was essential to obtain our acquittal; it was made possible thanks to the work of the lawyers who defended us.



The activists of UNEF Nanterre acquitted by the disciplinary section!**

**After 2 years of procedures, the disciplinary section of the Université Gustave Eiffel (Marne-la-Vallée) has just acquitted all the students prosecuted by the presidency of Université Paris-Nanterre following the struggle of the sans-facs students in 2021–2022, during which the sans-facs collective, supported by UNEF, occupied the faculty president’s offices, Mr. Philippe Gervais-Lambony, to demand enrolments for young people without placement at the university.

The disciplinary section's decision is clear: all accusations of violence or harassment against university staff or management, as well as accusations of disruption to order, to the proper functioning and to the reputation of the institution, are unfounded. The accusations of damage are also rejected.

As a reminder, Mr. Gervais-Lambony had obtained the change of venue for the procedure. To avoid being judged by the jury of Université Paris-Nanterre, fearing it would not rule in his favor, the president obtained, with the agreement of the rector of Île-de-France, that the procedure be transferred to another university, namely that of Marne-la-Vallée. Despite this maneuver, which we denounced and challenged in court, this jury was clear-sighted and did not swallow the Presidency of Nanterre's lies. This is a clear setback for those who seek to criminalize student union activity.



Here are some excerpts from the decision:

"It does not appear from the case files nor from the testimonies that these student occupations caused the interruption of courses, exams or the research activities of the institution during that period, nor that the student used violence or insults during these mobilizations; and therefore the occupation as such cannot justify the imposition of a sanction;

[...]

The acts of harassment imputed to the student against the staff consisted of political or union-style interpellations in a group directed at several members of the University management; consequently these people were solicited in their official capacity or mandate and not in a personal capacity [...] it does not appear from the case files that during these interpellations [the prosecuted students] committ[ed] physical or verbal violence;

[...]

Thus considering that, in view of the case files, it does not appear that [the prosecuted students] exceed[ed] the limits of [their] union mandate, nor committed materialized acts of violence against members of the staff of Université Nanterre or students during the occupation; therefore no sanction should be imposed on this point;"



The disciplinary section of Marne-la-Vallée confirms that we were acting within the exercise of our union mandate and that our actions aimed to call the University's authorities to account as part of a collective union action!

This is important news, even though the presidency at the time and unfortunately others tried to smear our occupation to defend the right to education against selection!

This is obviously huge encouragement for all those fighting against the privatization of the University and its social selection. We reaffirm strongly: studying is a right, not a privilege!

We thank all our supporters: students, sans-facs, university staff, employees and all the organizations that have supported us from the beginning.

Everywhere we must strengthen the sans-facs campaign and establish collectives against selection and Parcoursup. Faced with arbitrariness, student unions that carry out concrete solidarity must be strengthened, like UNEF Nanterre for example.
That is why we ask, as we have always asked, that the new president of Université Nanterre, Caroline Rolland-Diamond, meet and discuss with the sans-facs, their collective and UNEF. We are convinced it is possible to do things differently than simply enforcing selection.

Starting in July, the maximum number of files must be registered and answers must be given to the conciliatory appeals already filed. Letting the situation fester cannot become the University’s policy. That is what this acquittal tells us.

We therefore request to be received as of this Monday July 22, with the sans-facs collective of Île-de-France and UNEF Nanterre, to stop letting a situation that has no justification continue! Selection is not an option! Studying is a right and not a privilege!

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Help us pay the lawyers' fees!
Our lawyers' fees amount to nearly 20 000€ in invoices. This legal work was essential to obtain this acquittal; it was made possible thanks to the work of the lawyers who defended us.**
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