French police remove pro-Palestinian students from the courtyard of Sorbonne university in Paris

PARIS (AP) — French police removed dozens of students from the Sorbonne university after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the main courtyard of the elite institution in Paris on Monday.

About 50 protesters set up tents at midday Monday at the Sorbonne university courtyard in support of Palestinians, echoing similar encampments and solidarity demonstrations across the United States.

Protesters unveiled a giant Palestinian flag and chanted slogans in support of Palestinians in Gaza, as Israel continues its offensive following the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the Israeli-Hamas war. Police entered the university grounds in the early afternoon and removed them.

About 100 demonstrators took part in the protest near the prestigious university amid heavy police presence that were also guarding the university entrance to prevent students from setting up camp inside again.

Lorelia Frejo, a graduate student at the Sorbonne who joined a protest outside the university, said police used force to remove her peers from the courtyard. “They were peaceful and police took them out with no explanation,” Frejo said. Students in Paris were inspired by the protests at New York's Columbia University who remain steadfast despite police pressure, she added.

“They (Columbia protesters) are very strong and want to fight for justice and for peace in Palestine," Frejo said.

The Sorbonne occupies a unique place at the heart of French public and intellectual life. Last week, President Emmanuel Macron chose it as the venue to deliver a speech on his vision of Europe ahead of elections for the European Parliament in June.

Last week protests broke out at another elite university in the French capital region, the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, which counts Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal among its many famous alumni.

Tensions had broken out on campus as pro-Palestinian students inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States sought to occupy an amphitheater.

On Friday, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators faced each other in a tense standoff in the street outside the school. Riot police stepped in to separate the opposing groups.

The protest ended peacefully, when students agreed to evacuate the building late on Friday. The head of Sciences Po said an agreement with students had been reached.

AP writer Barbara Surk contributed from Nice, France.

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university with a huge Palestinian flag, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

A student flashes the V sign during a demonstration outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university with a huge Palestinian flag, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university with a huge Palestinian flag, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university with a huge Palestinian flag, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university with a huge Palestinian flag, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students stage a sit-in outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris. About 100 Pro-Palestinian students demonstrate near the Sorbonne university in Paris. The demonstration came on the heels of protests last week at another Paris-region school, Sciences Po. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As professional rugby teams and tournaments around the world contend with tough financial headwinds, Japan continues to buck the trend with historic growth in teams and crowds.

The Japan Rugby League One will add three new clubs next season, growing to 26 teams over three divisions.

The Secom Rugguts, based in Saitama, Yakult Levins, based in Toda, and LeRIRO Fukuoka, based in Ukiha City, will join the third division. The first division will have 12 teams, the second division will have eight and there'll be six in the third division.

Large corporations in Japan continue to show a strong interest in getting involved in rugby through team sponsorship. Top foreign players are being drawn to Japan at a younger age than in the past, and they're staying for longer.

At the same time, the picture for professional rugby is challenging in many other countries.

In England, two powerful clubs — Wasps and Worcester Warriors — have collapsed financially and closed down. London Irish has debts of more than 30 million pounds (US$38 million) and might have failed but for a takeover bid.

Losses by Premiership Rugby in Britain have doubled in the past year to 36 million pounds ($46 million). Many individual clubs there are heavily in debt.

New Zealand Rugby had a financial deficit of 47 million New Zealand dollars ($29 million) in 2023 and is expected to make a loss again this season. Officials recently have discussed reducing the number of professional teams the national body supports.

Rugby Australia made a $9.2 million Australian dollar ($6.4 million) loss last year and has debts of almost A$90 million ($60 million). The Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby team is on the brink of being dissolved.

The French Top 14 competition and teams so far remain profitable, mainly with the support of wealthy backers.

Japan Rugby League One, currently in its third year, continues to strengthen in the wake of the country hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The response to the league has been positive from fans, from broadcasters, from sponsors and corporate team owners and from foreign players.

“What I’m hearing from the foreign players is that they are enjoying the playing environment here and also liking the environment for their families,” JRLO chief operating officer Hajime Shoji said.

“The supporting companies also are very happy to observe the increasing enthusiasm for the high level of the games. Therefore, we are meeting the expectations of Japanese corporations, existing ones and new ones.”

Long-serving All Blacks forward Sam Cane is among the elite foreign players who have sampled the league in Japan while taking a break from their national or domestic rugby commitments. Cane announced earlier this week that he'd asked for a release from the last year of his New Zealand Rugby contract — 2025 — to take up a three-year deal with Tokyo-based Suntory Sungoliath.

The high-profile players are attracting bigger crowds. More than one million fans have attended League One matches so far this season, up from 750,000 last year, with the semifinals and final still to be played.

Crowds of around 18,000 are expected to attend semifinals on Saturday and Sunday — attendance is limited by stadium capacity — and more than 50,000 likely will attend the following week’s final at the 68,000-seat National Stadium.

“The target for this year was 900,000 and to have 1.1 million by the end of the season will have well exceeded that target. Our aspiration or high expectation is for a continued increase,” JRLO chairman Genichi Tamatsuka said.

“I appreciate those really great players who are coming to Japan who are setting higher standards in the level of rugby and are setting a very positive influence for the Japanese players."

The next phase for the league may involve further expansion.

“We divide our (development) into three phases,” Tamatsuka said, outlining a nine-year plan in three, three-year stages. “We are now finishing the first phase. I and Hajime and the other team members, general managers of teams and everyone, we should sit together review these first three years and review what was good, what should be improved and what were the problems for the teams’ perspectives.”

The way in which the league contributes to the performance of the Japan national team is one consideration.

“We sit down and discuss whether the current format is the right one or how many games we should have in the season or what sort of cross-border games we should seek,” Tamatsuka said. “Rugby’s growth is strong in the Asia-Pacific region and we want to make League One the center of the Asia-Pacific.

“We are going in a good direction and next year is going to be exciting again.”

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

All Blacks captain Sam Cane runs during the second Bledisloe Rugby test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Cane announced Monday May 13, 2024 that he was retiring from international rugby at the end of the 2024 season. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)