Petition for the political freedom at the University
The most important University in Brazil threatens 24 students with banishment based on a military dictatorship decree that forbids political demonstrations
In October 2010, Brazil carried its sixth free presidential election since the end of the military dictatorship, an authoritarian political regime that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985 which – through the suspension of political and individual freedoms – persecuted, jailed, exiled, tortured and killed thousands of Brazilians, including, among which, the current president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (arrested in 1980), the newly elected president, Dilma Rousseff (imprisoned and tortured between 1970 and 1972), and the former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (persecuted and exiled in 1964).
This dark period, that has officially ended for more than 20 years, deeply marked the history of Brazil’s politics. However unfortunate and absurd, its biggest, most important and traditional university, which from its most remarkable role in the scientific, cultural and political life in Brazil should be the first institution to foster and stand for the democratic principles, has been preserving and applying against its own students a disciplinary code developed during that dictatorship to prevent any form of political expression.
Based on a decree (not suspended by the end of the dictatorship) dated from 1972, the University of São Paulo (USP) is suing and threatening 24 of its own students on account of their political activism. Four of them due to the occupation of the rector’s office taken place in 2007 (a demonstration that lasted for more than three months and resisted against the attempt by the governor of dissociating the three basic principles that guide the university since its foundation: education, research and extension), and the other twenty due to the struggle for retaking part of the students’ residence in the early 2010. Both demonstrations had the preservation of the university autonomy and the students assistance as guidelines. Based on this 1972 decree, all 21 students are thereby accused of “committing moral outrages and practicing offensive acts against good customs”, “disturbing the school and university administration” and “attempting against the name and image of the university”. This decree has been “temporarily” in force for some decades and, unconstitutionally, still prohibits strikes and political demonstrations, providing penalties for those who “promote demonstration or propaganda of a political, partisan, racial or religious group, as well as inciting, fomenting or supporting collective absences for school work; [and those who] post signs outside proper sites”.
As far as it regards the international sphere of social movements criminalizations, the University of São Paulo (USP) sets a dangerous precedent for the university culture by persecuting and expelling students who promote political activities within the university walls. But it is even more critical insofar as it joins other iniciatives that were born in the Military Dictatorship, such as military political intervention in strikes and demonstrations within the university campus, the rector’s direct nomination by the State governor, and the approval of decrees and devices that violate the university autonomy.
Therefore, in order that USP may immediately stop the processes of political persecution and withdraw the disciplinary code from 1972 (as well as others of equivalent content) we ask for your signature in the following petition:
We, students, employees, teachers and professors from universities and schools from all over the world, the undersigned, on behalf of the pratice of political, scientific and cultural liberty that must take place within every and any university, have come hereby to order:
1.that the University of São Paulo may immediately suspend all processes of persecution and punishment that are being promoted against the very members of its own community, especially against the students threatened with expulsion;
2.and that the University of São Paulo, in respect to the democratic culture that is being built in Brazil and in respect to the tradition of freedom that must prevail in the university culture, may immediately revoke the disciplinary code established by the decree No 52.906 from March 27th 1972.
If you want to sign this petition, send an email with your name, institution and country to freedom.usp@gmail.com
