The Italian Minister for Universities, Anna Maria Bernini, has taken a firm stance against recent pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, stating that blockades and violence are not the way to express solidarity. “Preventing Italian universities from opening their gates is not how you show closeness to the Palestinian people,” she declared. “Barring students from entering classrooms is not how you manifest dismay at the carnage in Gaza, and attacking police officers does not contribute to building a path to peace.”
Minister Bernini emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting university rectors, asserting, “We cannot allow our universities to become free zones where professors are beaten or spaces dedicated to study and lessons are occupied.” She concluded by affirming the government’s priority: “to guarantee that universities remain open spaces.”