SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: September 09, 2025

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Federal University of Parana

Region & Country:Americas | Brazil

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On September 9, 2025, Brazilian police clashed with students protesting an event at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), resulting in several injuries.

The lecture, titled “Abuses of the Supreme Federal Court,” was organized by a professor in the Faculty of Law and scheduled for the same day that former president Jair Bolsonaro was being tried at the Supreme Federal Court. The speakers were Guilherme Kilter, a city councilor from the right-wing Novo Party, and Jeffrey Chiquini, a lawyer who had defended Bolsonaro allies. Various student organizations held a protest, calling the event “coup-mongering” and arguing that it was against the university’s “democratic principles.”

Shortly before the scheduled start, the university canceled the lecture and the Vice-Directorate advised the speakers not to attend. When the speakers entered the building anyway, student protests intensified and the speakers called the police. Military forces then entered the law building and dispersed demonstrators using stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Multiple students were injured, and one was arrested.

The administration of the Faculty of Law emphasized in a statement that it had not requested police intervention and condemned the use of force as disproportionate. The university announced an investigation into the incident, asserting that the unauthorized arrival of police on campus violated university autonomy.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force during a student protest. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Students, members of the public, and police forces must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and also respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2025/09/10/estudantes-protestam-contra-palestra-sobre-abusos-do-stf-dentro-da-ufpr-e-sao-reprimidos-pela-policia/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weSV0xHJL6Y
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOb44tIitXG/