I don't see the reason for downvoting parent. Full quote is "Cambridge is the University of Erasmus, of Newton, and of Darwin; censoring writings that offend the powerful is offensive to our deepest values", and first part struck me as completely irrelevant to the second part, somewhat unworthy of this otherwise well-convened letter.

In addition to that I don't see it as an "elegant way of giving finger", how mentioning of historic figures conveys the "finger message"?