UEPB cancels lecture by feminist who commemorated the death of a Brazilian woman

After being alerted by deputies Cabo Gilberto (PL-PB) and Carla Zambelli (PL-SP), the State University of Paraíba (UFPB) canceled an online lecture on the conflict in the Middle East with feminist Fernanda de Melo, which generated controversy last week when celebrating the murder of Brazilian Bruna Valeanu by the terrorist group Hamas.

Parliamentarians went live on social media, this Monday (16), to spread the “good news” and warn about similar initiatives at other universities.

“Today, we had good news. There was a determination that there would not be a lecture by this student who obviously defends Hamas terrorists against the Jews. Make it clear here to the Brazilian population that this attack on October 7, 2023 was the biggest terrorist attack, the biggest massacre against the Jews since the Holocaust, in the Second World War”, said deputy Cabo Gilberto when criticizing the defense of Hamas made by a leftist.

When commenting on a news story about the Brazilian woman’s murder by Hamas, on the social network X, Fernanda wrote: “It was too late”.

Bruna Valeanu was attending a rave party near the Gaza Strip when Hamas attacked the young people. Reports show that many of the victims were raped and killed alongside the bodies of other young people.

For deputy Carla Zambelli, groups are using university space to corrupt history and carry out anti-Israel propaganda.

The parliamentarian also asked her followers to report similar events by accessing the Instituto Nosso Filhos website, maintained by deputy Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO).

The event canceled after the request of the two parliamentarians was organized by the Center for Studies in Politics, International Relations and Religion (Ceprir) and was scheduled to take place on Saturday (14), at 3 pm, on the Ceprir YouTube channel.

The online lecture “Understanding the Conflict between Israel and Palestine” would feature the participation of Fernanda de Melo and researcher from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Felipe Vidal, both linked to Ceprir.

Ceprir informed about the suspension of the event on social media.

“We take this opportunity to reinforce that Ceprir does not support any type of intolerance or racism, and they are not accepted by the parties that make up it”, says an excerpt from the Center’s statement published on the social network X, last week.

Also last week, as reported by People’s GazetteFernanda de Melo was confirmed as a speaker in a public class on “the issue of Palestine” at the University of São Paulo (USP).

The event had the support of several left-wing organizations and was mobilized by the group Students in Solidarity with the Palestinian People (ESPP) at USP, of which Fernada is a member of the committee.

Fernanda is also the editor of a feminist online magazine that aims to present “a critical feminism, which aims to break with conservative and retrograde perspectives on issues that concern social life”.