107 international academics react to social media reports that more than 20 universities in Brazil have been invaded by military police in recent days, with teaching materials confiscated on ideological grounds
Reports have emerged on social media that more than 20 universities in Brazil have been subjected in recent days to: invasions by military police; the confiscation of teaching materials on ideological grounds; and the suppression of freedom of speech and expression, especially in relation to anti-fascist history and activism.
As academics, researchers, graduates, students and workers at universities in the UK, Europe and further afield, we deplore this attack on freedom of expression in Brazil’s universities, which comes as a direct result of the campaign and election of far-right President Bolsonaro.
Academic autonomy is a linchpin not only of independent and objective research, but of a functioning democracy, which should be subject to scrutiny and informed, evidence-based investigation and critique.
We call on co-workers, colleagues and students to decry this attack on Brazil’s universities in the name of Bolsonaro’s wider militaristic, anti-progressive agenda. We will not stand by as this reactionary populist attacks the pillars of Brazil’s democracy and education system. We will campaign vigorously in whatever capacity we can with activists, educators and lawmakers in Brazil to ensure that its institutions can operate without the interference of this new – and hopefully short-lived – government.
Dr William McEvoy, University of Sussex, UK (correspondent)
Dr Will Abberley, University of Sussex
Nannette Aldred, University of Sussex
Patricia Alessandrini, Stanford University, USA
Dr Michael Alexander, University of Glasgow
Steven Allen, Birkbeck, University of London
Dr Katherine Angel, Birkbeck, University of London
Pedro Argenti, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Nick Awde, International Editor, The Stage newspaper, London
Professor Ian Balfour, York University, Toronto, Canada
Lennart Balkenhol, University of Melbourne, Australia
Nehaal Bajwa, University of Sussex
Dr Louis Bayman, University of Southampton
Mark Bergfeld, former NUS NEC (2010-2012)
Professor Tim Bergfelder, University of Southampton
Dr Patricia Pires Boulhosa, University of Cambridge
Dr Maud Bracke, University of Glasgow
Max Brookman-Byrne, University of Lincoln
Dr Conrad Brunström, Maynooth University, Ireland
Dr Christopher Burlinson, Jesus College, Cambridge
Professor Martin Butler, University of Sussex
Professor Gavin Butt, University of Sussex
Cüneyt Çakirlar, Nottingham Trent University
Guilherme Carréra, University of Westminster
Geoffrey Chew, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Maite Conde, University of Cambridge
Dr Luke Cooper, Anglia Ruskin University, UK, and Institute of Human Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Dr Sue Currell, University of Sussex
Professor Dimitris Dalakoglou, Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
William Dalziel, University of Sussex
Dr April de Angelis, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Olga Demetriou, Durham University
Dr Stephanie Dennison, University of Leeds
Dr Steffi Doebler, University of Liverpool
Dr Sai Englert, SOAS University of London
James Erskine, University of Sussex and Birkbeck, University of London
Professor Martin Paul Eve, Birkbeck, University of London
John Fallas, University of Leeds
Dr Lynne Fanthome, Staffordshire University
Dr Hannah Field, University of Sussex
Dr Adrian Garvey, Birkbeck, University of London
Dr Laura Gill, University of Sussex
Dr Priyamvada Gopal, University of Cambridge
Bhavini Goyate, University of Sussex
Dr Craig Haslop, University of Liverpool
Professor Björn Heile, University of Glasgow
Dr Phil Hutchinson, Manchester Metropolitan University
Professor Martin Iddon, University of Leeds
Dr Eleftheria Ioannidou, University of Groningen, Netherlands
Dr Chris Kempshall, University of Sussex
Andrew Key, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Professor Laleh Khalili, SOAS University of London
Dr Theodore Koulouris, University of Brighton
Professor Maria Lauret, University of Sussex
Professor Vicky Lebeau, University of Sussex
Professor James Livesey, University of Dundee, Scotland
Professor Luke Martell, University of Sussex
Dr N Gabriel Martin, Lebanese American University, Lebanon
Wolfgang Marx, University College, Dublin, Ireland
Andy Medhurst, University of Sussex
Professor Philippe Meers, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Dr Shamira A Meghani, University of Cambridge
Niccolo Milanese, CESPRA EHESS, Paris, France and PUC Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dr Ian Moody, CESEM – Universidade Nova, Lisbon
Professor Lucia Naqib, University of Reading
Dr Catherine Packham, University of Sussex
Professor Dimitris Papanikolaou, University of Oxford
Mary Parnwell, University of Sussex
Professor Deborah Philips, University of Brighton
Dr Chloe Porter, University of Sussex
Dr Jason Price, University of Sussex
Dr Duška Radosavljević, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Francesca Reader, University of Sussex and University of Brighton
Naida Redgrave, University of East London
Professor Nicholas Ridout, Queen Mary, University of London
Professor Lucy Robinson, University of Sussex
Dr Kirsty Rolfe, University of Sussex
Dr Joseph Ronan, University of Brighton
Dr Michael Rowland, University of Sussex
Dr Zachary Rowlinson, University of Sussex
Professor Nicholas Royle, University of Sussex
Dr Eleanor Rycroft, University of Bristol
Dr Jason Scott-Warren, University of Cambridge
Dr Deborah Shaw, University of Portsmouth
Dr Lisa Shaw, University of Liverpool
Kat Sinclair, University of Sussex
Sandrine Singleton-Perrin, University of Essex
Despina Sinou, University of Paris 13 – Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
Dave Smith, University of Hertfordshire
John Snijders, Durham University
Dr Samuel Solomon, University of Sussex
Dr Arabella Stanger, University of Sussex
Professor Rob Stone, University of Birmingham
Bernard Sufrin, Emeritus Fellow, Dept of Computer Science, University of Oxford
Dr Natasha Tanna, University of Cambridge
Professor Lyn Thomas, University of Sussex
Simon Thorpe, University of Warwick
Dr Gavan Titley, Maynooth University, Ireland
Dr Pamela Thurschwell, University of Sussex
Dr Dominic Walker, University of Sussex
Dr Ed Waller, University of Surrey and University of Portsmouth
Dr Kiron Ward, University of Sussex
Helen Wheatley, University of Warwick
Ian Willcock, University of Herfordshire
Professor Gregory Woods, Nottingham Trent University
Dr Tom F Wright, University of Sussex
Dr Heba Youssef, University of Brighton
