Cancellation of a symposium on Palestine at the Collège de France; event to proceed with a limited audience

On November 9, 2025, the Collège de France canceled the symposium “Palestine and Europe: The Weight of the Past and Contemporary Dynamics,” originally scheduled for November 13 and 14, 2025, citing a risk of a breach of public order. To justify this decision, the institution cited, among other things, an article published by Le Point, graffiti targeting several faculty members near the Collège de France, and the context of public controversy surrounding the event.

In a letter addressed to the institution, the Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, stated that he did not have the authority to ban an academic conference, while commending the decision made by the Collège de France. The organizers, including Leila Seurat and Salam Kawakibi, challenged the cancellation, backed by several organizations, notably CAALAP and the Human Rights League. In summary proceedings, the Paris Administrative Court rejected the request for a stay, ruling that there was no serious and manifestly illegal infringement of academic freedoms that would justify emergency intervention.

The conference was ultimately held at the CAREP Paris premises with a very limited capacity.

Called upon to examine the legality of the cancellation, the administrative court held a hearing on July 1, 2026, during which the public rapporteur concluded that the November 9, 2025, cancellation decision was disproportionate. The court found that the Collège de France should have implemented the necessary measures to ensure safety while still allowing the conference to take place, and reaffirmed the principle of academic freedom, noting researchers’ right to publish their work, even when it runs counter to certain academic truths or prevailing ideas.

The administrative court will issue its ruling on July 15, 2026.