Dear Allies,

The moment we feared has arrived. Last week, dozens of student protestors officially received police charges for daring to exercise their right to assembly and freedom of speech at ETH.

In making this decision, the ETH Executive Board has chosen to silence voices which counter their narrative. For a federal institute in a country which constitutionally protects freedom of expression, this betrayal of democratic values is disappointing and deeply concerning. 

Student protest has a long tradition on University campuses. To immediately and forcefully disperse a peaceful gathering with police repression therefore sets a dangerous precedent. We should not only consider the significant impacts that this has on the students - who are now facing additional and unnecessary stress during their preparation for exams - but the future implications such actions have for the freedom of expression in society. The rights we enjoy today have been hard-won by previous generations of workers and protestors, but can easily be worn down over time if we do not remain vigilant. We cannot foresee the future consequences of this action from ETH, but given the broader context of a global re-emergence of fascism, we should be deeply concerned by all attempts to silence those amongst us who dare to speak out. 

Please, do whatever you can to help those facing these charges. Individual actions such as signing petitions and writing emails are praiseworthy first steps, but we have more power when we can present a united front. Organising with sympathetic friends and colleagues will greatly amplify the pressure on ETH to drop these outrageous charges. We are facing increasingly uncertain and unstable times, and we cannot allow our fundamental rights to be eroded now or at any point if we wish for a better future.