The Editors of the journal Capitalism Nature Socialism are deeply disappointed by the University of New Mexico Administration distancing themselves from their Associate Professor of American Studies and our Senior Editor, David Correia, who has been unjustifiably arrested and charged with a felony during a peaceful protest. In doing so, The University of New Mexico Administration have missed an opportunity to make a clear statement in support of the academic freedom of a faculty member.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent intervention of the police against peaceful protesters, including David Correia, gathered at the Albuquerque City Council this 2nd of June 2014. It is an outrage that a police department should act in such repressive manner, running roughshod over the right to peaceful protest and free speech. Since the Department of Justice has found the Albuquerque Police Department to have broken federal law in killing 26 people since 2010, it is that police department that should be charged with crimes and taken to court, rather than the peaceful demonstrators arrested.
The Administration of the University of New Mexico, in failing to make a clear statement supportive of David Correia and in genuflecting to the Albuquerque City Council and Police Department, are sacrificing academic freedom at the altar of political expedience. We therefore beseech all people of good will to bring counter-pressure on the Albuquerque City Council and Police Department to desist from harassing David Correia and all involved in protesting police brutality and to express their perplexity at the Administration of the University of New Mexico for their failure to take a stand against repression.