In a statement released by the organizers, the protesters made it clear that they regarded the move as an overreach by foreign powers into the internal matters of a sovereign state. According to the statement, France and the EU were effectively passing judgment on the country’s internal policies without understanding the full context or respecting the rights of the people to self-determination. The demonstrators emphasized that such actions were legally and morally indefensible. By taking such a stance, the French government, according to the protesters, was ignoring long-established norms that prohibit interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations.
The statement also critiqued France for focusing on the military designation while disregarding its own social and political problems. The students pointed to the ongoing protests and social unrest within France, where citizens were demanding better conditions, greater freedoms, and an end to restrictions on expression. The protests in France, particularly in response to social policies and economic inequalities, were used as a reference point in their critique. The students argued that the French government had a long history of limiting free speech and cracking down on dissent, which undermined its credibility when it came to speaking on human rights matters.
