On October 21, 2024, an unidentified individual used pepper spray against students and staff at the National University of Córdoba (UNC) in an apparent attempt to shut down an assembly.

At the time of the attack, nearly 800 students and staff members were holding a gathering at the School of Psychology to discuss the future of protests against Argentine President Javier Milei’s veto of the University Financing Law, a move that would effectively defund universities across the country.

As the students and staff were voting on the future course of action, the intruder, who was allegedly affiliated with Franja Morada–the student wing of the Argentine Radical Civic Union (UCR) political party–entered the building and sprayed the students and staff with pepper spray. This incident comes less than a week after a similar attack at National University of Quilmes (see report).

The attack forced the students to evacuate the building and suspend the assembly.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on campus, apparently intended to disrupt open and critical discourse. Students and members of the public must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression, and university authorities must take reasonable measures to ensure safe conditions for living, learning, and expression for students. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such actions undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.lavoz.com.ar/politica/denuncian-que-un-infiltrado-arrojo-gas-pimienta-en-la-asamblea-de-la-facultad-de-psicologia-de-la-unc/
https://prensaobrera.com/universidad/universidad-de-cordoba-tiran-gas-pimienta-durante-la-asamblea-de-psicologia
https://canalc.com.ar/estudiantes-de-la-facultad-de-psicologia-denunciaron-ataque-con-gas-pimienta-en-la-unc/