Scientific Community Teargassed in Brazil

120 professors and about 1,200 students and university workers were
beaten and teargassed in the main campus of the University of São Paulo
in Brazil last Tuesday (June 9).

Conflicts started after a one month strike of university workers whose
employment status is being disputed due to a legal controversy over
university autonomy to hire its workers without approval of state
representatives. Over one thousand workers might loose their jobs.
Workers started a strike on May 5 demanding the preservation of their
jobs and other labor demands. On May 27, workers started to block the
entrance of four university buildings because, according to them,
university management was threatening workers who were using their legal
right to strike. On June 1, administration called the military police to
intervene. On June 4 professors joined the strike protesting police
occupation of campus. on June 5, professors had a two hours meeting with
management asking for a non-military solution to the labor conflict.
However, common sense did not prevail and military police attacked a
peaceful demonstration of students and workers yesterday (June 9). 120
professors were discussing the crisis when the meeting was interrupted
by news of a police attack. A few minutes later teargas and concussion
bombs exploded inside the building. Several of our colleagues and
students were hurt. The academic community is shocked.

We ask the support of the international scientific and academic
community by demanding university management the immediate withdraw of
military police from campus and the non-violent resolution of labor
conflicts in the university.

Professor Pablo Ortellado (Public Policy)
Professor Rogério Monteiro de Siqueira (Geometry)
Professor Jefferson Mello (Brazilian literature)
Professor Thomás Haddad (Science History)
Professor Carlos Gonçalves (Science History)
Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades
Universidade de São Paulo

Further information (in Portuguese):
Associação dos Docentes da USP: www.adusp.org.br
Sindicato dos Funcionários da USP: www.sintusp.org.br

Please send protest and concern letters to the University of São Paulo
administration:

Professor Suely Vilela
Rector of the University of São Paulo
E-mail: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]

Professor Franco Lajolo
Vice-Rector of the University of São Paulo
E-mail: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]

Professor Alberto Carlos Amadio
Chief Staff of the Rector
E-mail: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]