London Protests Over France’s Denial of Entry to Palestinian Surgeon
Protests Held in London Over France’s Denial of Entry to British Surgeon of Palestinian Origin
A recent event in the French Parliament sparked protests in London as France refused entry to Gassan Abu Sitte, the Palestinian-origin Rector of Glasgow University. Abu Sitte, who traveled to Paris to testify about his experiences in Gaza, was met with protest in front of the French Embassy in London.
The demonstrators gathered in London’s South Kensington district, expressing their discontent with France’s decision to deport Abu Sitte and their support for Israel. Chanting slogans like “Hands off Ghassan”, “Free Palestine”, and “France, we are ashamed of you”, the protesters also voiced their criticism of the British government’s support for Israel.
Abu Sitte, a surgeon who worked in Gaza for 40 days during Israel’s attacks on the region, was on his way to participate in an event at the French Parliament when he was denied entry at Charles De Gaule Airport.
This is not the first time Abu Sitte has faced such obstacles, as he was recently deported from Germany and imposed a 1-year ban on entry to the Schengen area, which was also enforced in France.
In a social media post, Abu Sitte stated, “While Israel kills genocide witnesses in prisons, the European fortress silences genocide witnesses.” Despite being held at the airport, he managed to participate in the event at the Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament, via video before departing from France at 18:10 local time with his own ticket. The incident has brought attention to the ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
