Alert to readers: a routine health lecture at Paris’s Sorbonne University turned into a flashpoint when students used the Wooclap tool to project antisemitic messages, including references to Hitler and a Nazi symbol, onto the lecture hall screen. The session was suspended, the theatre evacuated, and the case was referred to prosecutors. About 100 students and six lecturers were exposed to explicitly racist remarks and Nazi apologia. The university offered support to affected staff and students, and set up a psychological unit within the general medicine department; the secularism, anti-racism and antisemitism officer was alerted.
The incident underscores how quickly online tools can escalate on-campus discourse into a crisis. Sorbonne officials emphasised their commitment to fighting antisemitism, racism, and discrimination, while also cooperating with authorities to pursue legal avenues. This response aims to reassure the university community and demonstrate accountability for safeguarding learning environments.
The episode is part of a broader pattern of antisemitic and extremist remarks on French university campuses this autumn. Earlier events included a Hamas-related comment described as a ‘glorious day’ on October 7, and a separate incident at Paris VIII where hundreds of students reportedly praised terrorism and did not condemn the massacres. These tensions have fed national debate about safety, inclusion, and the limits of free expression within higher education.
In response to rising antisemitism, Parliament passed legislation to combat antisemitism in higher education, mandating awareness-raising measures and disciplinary sanctions, and requiring each institution to appoint a dedicated contact person. The administration and France Universités have also scrutinized the ongoing national survey on antisemitism, with concerns raised about design, GDPR compliance, and neutrality. France’s Jewish population remains substantial, estimated around 500,000, highlighting why universities face heightened scrutiny and responsibility in safeguarding students.