BERLIN, (PIC)
More than two thousand academics in Germany called on the Minister of Education and Scientific Research to resign from her position over her attempt to sanction scholars who supported pro-Palestinian students’ right to protest.
In an open letter published online on Friday, about 2,034 academics charged Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger of acting unconstitutionally.
The letter stated that the request to end the financial support contradicts all principles of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of academic education.
The academics said that cutting off support for free education and research because of political statements by researchers violates the constitution, stressing that ordering an investigation was “a sign of constitutional ignorance” and “a political abuse of power.”
“The mere appearance of state restrictions on free public debate is damaging to our democratic society and to Germany’s reputation as a global scientific center,” the academics added in the letter.
Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Buchner said, in a press conference in Berlin, that “the ministry does not comment on statements and letters open to the public.”
Many faculty members in Germany signed an open letter expressing dissatisfaction with police violence against students protesting in support of Palestine at the Free University of Berlin on May 7.
On Wednesday, local media reported that the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research had opened an investigation against the academics who signed the open letter.
The channel indicated that the ministry would study the possibility of cutting the funding granted to the aforementioned academics.
