On September 15, 2025, the private security detail of a city councilman clashed with three students on the campus of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP).

Guarulhos city councilman Kleber Ribeiro, accompanied by advisors and a team of security guards, visited the School of Philosophy, Letters, and Human Sciences to request use of a campus space for an event on antisemitism and religious intolerance. As the group was leaving, student protestors—who recognized Ribeiro from his social media presence and a 2024 incident in which he reportedly disrupted an academic event about Palestine—confronted them.

The situation escalated when one of Ribeiro’s guards pushed a student, sparking a physical clash between the protesters and the private security team. At least three students were injured during the altercation. University administrators accompanied the injured students to the campus health service for treatment and to the police station to file a report.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about on-campus clashes impeding the functioning of a university. All members of the higher education community and visitors to campus must refrain from violence, especially on campus. State and university authorities should take steps to prevent and respond to such attacks, including by carrying out investigations and holding perpetrators accountable, in accordance with international human rights standards. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, violent attacks on campus undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*This incident was identified by the Center for the Analysis of Liberty and Authoritarianism, a member of the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the America’s Monitoring Working Group.
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/educacao/2025/09/alunos-da-unifesp-sao-agredidos-por-equipe-de-vereador-de-guarulhos-sp.shtml
https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2025/09/17/briga-entre-equipe-do-vereador-kleber-ribeiro-e-alunos-da-unifesp-termina-com-feridos.ghtml