Pro-Gaza protests in universities, Bernini: “Dissent is legitimate, the dividing line is violence”

For the Minister of University and Research "identifying universities with the government of Israel is a fatal mistake" and adds: "The Mur will not interrupt any collaboration"

ROME – It is a delicate moment in which universities are feeling the effects of the climate of strong international tension. It is in the country’s interest to safeguard them as spaces of democracy. Protest, dissent, criticism, even harsh criticism, are completely legitimate expressions. The real distinction, unacceptable and insurmountable, is violence. Preventing someone from speaking is the opposite of democracy.” This was said by the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, interviewed by ‘Domani’. And on the interventions of the police forces, Bernini underlined: “On Pisa the Interior Minister clarified in the Chamber. I reject the caricatured image of a repressive climate. Biden said: “The right to protest does not mean the right to chaos. We are not an authoritarian state that silences people and represses dissent, but we are not a lawless country either.” I agree with this approach and, at the same time, underline that in Italy the situation appears to be largely under control. There is no chaos.” And in any case, he added: “Security and freedom of expression must be combined. Universities are not free zones for crimes. Ensuring safety means guaranteeing the freedom to study and also to demonstrate civilly. The rectors will be at the table with Minister Piantedosi because they are primarily entrusted with security in the universities and the evaluation of management on their own or with the support of the police. It is those who prevent anyone from speaking – he concluded – who deny freedom, not the police forces to whom my thanks go.

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MO. BERNINI: IDENTIFYING UNIVERSITIES WITH ISRAEL’S GOVERNMENT IS A FATAL MISTAKE

“When I was in Israel to negotiate some collaborations I met colleagues who received me in the morning because in the afternoon they went to protest against the Netanyahu government’s justice reform. Do we want to leave them alone? This is a crucial point: universities are the place of research and free thought par excellence Identifying them with governments is a fatal mistake. Netanyahu’s obvious mistakes are one thing the relationship with the Israeli people is another, which must be safeguarded and maintained”. strong>dual use‘, specified: “The Internet, as is known, was born for military communications, then it became the tool it is today. Civilian technology often owes a lot to military technology >”. Also for this reason the Mur will not interrupt any collaboration with Israel, not even in calls for optics, “our country, speaking of optics – the minister recalled – is a candidate to host Einstein in Sardinia Telescope, an infrastructure capable of capturing gravitational waves in an innovative way with many positive consequences. Lula, in the heart of Barbagia, will become a city of science. Scientific and cultural diplomacy capture portions of territory. We also inaugurated an inter-university center in Caivano on Saturday: the courses will start in September”.

UNIVERSITY. HOUSING, BERNINI: WE HAVE ALLOCATED 1.2 BILLION EUROS

On university housing “we have allocated 1.2 billion, also from Pnrr funds, on an ambitious target of 60 thousand more beds between now and 2026. It will allow us to overcome a historic delay in our country with a structural measure. Three ways: with a public-private tender because if we made everything public we wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline; co-financing universities so that they allocate their properties to student residences; finally a protocol with the state property, to redevelop abandoned properties with rapid planning”.