French police are still searching for a suspect who stabbed a university vice-president near his office on Friday.
Although investigators have not established a link between the attack and the ongoing nationwide student protests, more than 80 school principals and deputy principals have been injured amid unrest surrounding the demonstrations since mid-September.
According to French media, the attack occurred at around 7:45pm at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), a public research university near Paris. The victim was working in his office when he heard a noise in the hallway. Believing it was a cleaner, he stepped outside to greet him but was confronted by a hooded man wearing a surgical mask.
The assailant attacked the vice-president with a bladed weapon, leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries to his head and hand. The victim managed to escape into a nearby office and lock the door, while the attacker fled the scene.
UVSQ President Loic Josseran condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” and urged the public to respect his injured colleague’s privacy.
“No violence is acceptable. The state stands alongside universities, their leadership, and their staff,” Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste wrote on X. Baptiste later told TF1 that the victim had expressed concern that his assault could be “exploited by extremists.”
According to Le Parisien, UVSQ has been affected by repeated campus blockades, prompting administrators to call in police. Around 20 disgruntled students sought a meeting with the university president on November 9 but were turned away because he was absent.
Students across France have been demanding better learning conditions, including more teachers and greater funding for education. Their protests have drawn support from public-sector unions and other demonstrators protesting the rising cost of living.
Around 106,000 people protested across France on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry, while organizers claimed 200,000. Police detained at least 219 people as clashes erupted in several cities, including Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Montpellier. Ten officers suffered minor injuries.