On 27 October 2014, the Director of the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS) of the University of Lisbon informed the Editor of the journal Análise Social, João Pina-Cabral, and the members of the Editorial Board that he would “remove from circulation” the latest issue of the journal (AS212). The justification given by the Director of ICS, José Luís Cardoso, was that the issue contained “offensive content that would harm ICS’s reputation”, referring in particular to a visual essay by the sociologist Ricardo Campos.

 

The outgoing Editor and members of the Editorial Board strongly disagreed with this decision, considering it an act of censorship.

 

It has since been alleged by the Director of ICS that Ricardo Campos' visual essay was published in contravention of the journal's procedures. That is not the case, as can be confirmed by consulting the journal's regulations. The editorial board is entitled to commission interviews, debates and research notes on themes of particular relevance for the social sciences, contributions which are not subject to external review. The journal has been publishing such contributions for the past years without protest from the Institute.

The visual essay in question contains photos of graffiti from the streets of Lisbon that reflect the feelings of frustration felt in Portugal with regards to the politics of “austerity” followed by the European Union. These are accompanied by a text authored by Ricardo Campos which gives a brief genealogy of political graffiti as a form of expression. The text is a sociological enquiry, not in support or against the content of the images.  

In short, the latest issue of the journal has been withdrawn in open defiance of the academic independence of Análise Social, whose reputation we care for deeply.

 

Last but not least: we would like to declare our solidarity towards the sociologist Ricardo Campos.