UIB professors protest Vox's attack on a journalist from Manacor: "Respect academic freedom."

PalmAround forty professors from the Department of Historical Sciences and Theory of the Arts at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) have expressed their "firm and resounding" rejection of the motion presented by the Vox municipal group to Manacor City Council, which attacks Dr. Lourdes Melis in an "unjustified manner, from a scientific, academic, and political point of view."

The signatories of the manifesto consider that the "ideological neutrality" to which Vox, a political organization, appeals is guaranteed by the "highest academic institution" through excellence in research, which "is impartial," follows a scientific methodology, and adheres to "historical facts in an absolutely objective manner."

Thus, they condemn attempts to delegitimize and censor educational initiatives that, "far from polemicizing" about the recent past, constitute an essential contribution to the transfer of knowledge and aim to promote critical thinking, respect for human rights, and reparation for the victims of Franco's regime.

Furthermore, they point out that these activities respond to an "inescapable ethical and educational responsibility" of the University. With this statement, they wish to express "solidarity and absolute support" for the work of Professor Lourdes Melis, in addition to her defense of "freedom, plurality, and commitment to democracy."

For all these reasons, they are calling for the withdrawal of the motion presented by the Vox municipal group; for the respect of academic freedom for teachers like Dr. Lourdes Melis, who work to offer an education based on truth, respect, and historical justice; and for Manacor's educational and political institutions to continue supporting and promoting initiatives to recover historical memory.