It is with deep indignation that the Rectory of Unicamp publicly repudiates a new attack carried out, on January 24, 2024, against the first baobab tree planted in Praça da Paz. The tree, a symbol of the ancestry and resistance of the black community, was uprooted and vandalized, in an act of extreme cruelty and cowardice, which occurred in the dead of night.
This baobab, planted in 2019 as part of the Unicamp Afro celebrations, had already suffered a previous attack. At the time, thanks to careful work by the black community at Unicamp and Campinas, the tree was able to be saved. The most recent attack, however, will not allow any type of recovery of the plant.
In addition to repudiating this cowardly action against the tree symbol of black resistance, the Rectory will do everything possible to discover the identity of the perpetrator(s) of this act of vandalism, as well as taking the appropriate measures in the case.
With the contribution of the black community at the University and the city, a new baobab seedling should be planted, to be surrounded with all the security and care, as the memory and resistance of the black community on campus deserve to be treated. To this end, the University, among other measures, will install a surveillance system with cameras in Praça da Paz.
Campinas, January 25, 2024
