The University of Geneva will file a criminal complaint against protesters who disrupted a recent book talk, prompting accusations of ¡°repression¡± from its student union.

The talk at the university by ?ric Marty, professor at Paris Diderot University ¨C Paris 7, was disrupted by protesters against his book, The Sex of the Moderns.

In a statement, the university said the protesters ¡°crossed two red lines by attacking academic freedom and resorting to physical and verbal violence¡±, adding that it did not know whether students were among the activists.

The University of Geneva¡¯s rector, Yves Fl¨¹ckiger, told the local Tribune de Gen¨¨ve newspaper that he feared ¡°a form of self-censorship¡± after a department director was prevented from speaking at the event.

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¡°People who fear books have never been on the right side of history. We need critical approaches, dialogue. No burnings,¡± he told the paper.

Professor Fl¨¹ckiger, who is also president of the Swiss rectors¡¯ conference Swissuniversities, said it was the first time the university had filed a criminal complaint in such a case.

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The student union said the decision to file a criminal complaint was a ¡°paradigm shift¡± and a ¡°repression¡± of the accused students and activists.

It said Professor Marty¡¯s book was ¡°really about reducing the existence of transgender people both to the status of a vague concept, and at the same time presenting them as being a danger to cisgender women¡±.

In its statement, the university said any students involved in the disruption could face exclusion.

ben.upton@timeshighereducation.com