As I’m sure most of you are fully aware, the last week or so in Brazil has been manic. Protests across a number of Brazilian cities have dominated national headlines and attracted the attention of international media as well. In this post I want to talk about my first hand experiences of these recent events, outline as best I can what is going on, and finally discuss the important challenges the movements face going forward into their second week and beyond.
Last Thursday, my friends and I joined 300,000 Brazilians on Rio’s famous Presidente Vargas Street for one of the most monumental and game-changing social movements the country has witnessed since the transition to democracy in the 1980’s. In addition to the musical, party-like, carnival atmosphere, there was something immediately poignant and striking about this particular protest. The range of issues the crowd was protesting about was so broad it was difficult to understand what the intentions and motivations of the crowd actually were.
Rather than focusing on one issue, such as the 20 Centavos bus fare increase, the placards on display and the chants circulating aired grievances that spanned across all the problems Brazil is facing in its strive for a more just, efficient and equal society. Amongst these challenges were:
• Investment into education and healthcare services
• Reducing corruption and increasing transparency
• An overhaul of public transport networks
• Gay rights
• And one that I noticed was pursued with real vigor – the abandonment of the FIFA 2014 World Cup
Another interesting observation was the demographics of the crowd. Although a generalization, I’m pretty sure that the majority of the crowd was comprised of students and young professionals. I’m not saying the poorest in society weren’t there, I’m just saying there was a disproportionally small amount of them. The amount of DSLR cameras on display and the whiteness of the crowd certainly made this evident. What this did show, however, was some degree of solidarity between Brazil’s emerging middle class and the most marginalized in society; for whom the original bus ticket increase was most detrimental. This unity across social classes, in a country where chronic inequality has scarred the nation’s image for much of its past, in my opinion, will be pivotal for Brazil if it is to overcome issues such as health, transport and education that don’t affect everyone in Brazil with the same intensity.
One issue that without a doubt touches a nerve for pretty much every Brazilian, regardless of class, is corruption. It wasn’t too long ago that I was reading the positive headlines surrounding the Mensalão (big monthly stipend) scandal and the dishing out of hefty sentences for those found guilty. I remember rhetoric along the lines of ‘historic anti-corruption convictions in Brazil’ etc. etc. and an air of optimism surrounding political transparency in Brazil. Anyway, a few months down the line, with the PEC 37 amendment days away, it feels like another slap in the face for Brazilian democracy. To cut a long and complicated story short, the body that found the politicians guilty of their crimes throughout Mensalão is on the brink of being shut down, deeming previous convictions void, consequently letting those shamed public officials off the hook. In a country where elected officials earn obscene salaries and the level of trust between citizens and the state is in large parts non-existent, this latest revelation is not just some drawback but a major reminder of the constitution’s inability to serve the people it was drawn up for during that memorable year in 1985.
As a gringa living in Brazil for almost a year, I understand the level of anger and animosity being vented by some of the protestors. After being tear gassed twice and fleeing armed police shooting rubber bullets at me, I still don’t condone the violent actions of the small minority at last Thursday’s protest. With 300,000 people lining the streets it is incredibly easy for some to ruin it for others. The chants of ‘sem violência’ and ‘sem vandalismo’ from thousands of people had little effect in persuading the violent minority to lay down their Molotovs, bricks, sticks, and spray cans. If continued, this could be a really detrimental element in this historic movement. Violence breeds violence, and with talk of the army assisting the police in crowd control, as well as the acknowledgement that Rio and Sāo Paulo’s Favelas contain an unhealthy amount of firearms themselves, escalating violence could have some potentially terrifying consequences.
I hope that this level of militancy won’t be reached, but fear that if a more organized and clear movement is not formed and met by a willing and appeasing government, violence and militant fringe groups could end up stealing the headlines from under the nose of the majority striving for social justice.
One thing that has shocked me about the unfolding of these recent events has been the quality of international news coverage – in particular, my bread and butter news source, the BBC. By referring to the cause of the ‘riots’ as a ‘9 cent’ increase in the bus fare, they gravely misunderstood and did the manifestation a sincere injustice. They did this primarily in two ways:
1. They are not riots, they are protests. Look at my pictures and videos and you will see. Of course, certain people were rioting and the main body of the crowd condemned this minority throughout. Labeling the whole nationwide movement as ‘riots’ is certainly unfair and leading.
2. By contextualizing it as a ‘6 cent’ increase for US readers, they are belittling and patronizing every working Brazilian that earns less than R$1000 ($447) a month. They don’t mention that most workers have to use between three to five buses per day at a cost of R$10-15, which when working six days a week eats away at a third of your monthly salary. They don’t mention that when a study carried out that measured how many minutes of work were needed for a bus fare across a number of global cities, Rio ranked highest at 13 minutes. Finally, when the Brazilian Real at its highest point on the US Dollar, it has only reached 3:1, it is just unfair to put it to the reader in this deceiving way.
In terms of what’s next, it is very difficult to propose what may or may not happen next. What’s happening with the political climate here is genuinely new ground for Brazil as a society. For me, unity and objectivity will be the two most important factors in terms of determining whether the current protests prove to be failures or successes. There is no doubt this period of time will go down in Brazilian history; the nature of its legacy though, remains to be seen.
Firstly, the movement needs organization beyond street congregation. Whether this is done through strong leadership or just by collectively laying out a strong set of goals, the movement needs discussion, debate and long-term dedication. The government has already made positive reactionary statements, yet if an objective plan and set of solid demands isn’t drawn up the government will have no benchmark by which its actions can be measured and held accountable.
With the World Cup only a year away, those involved in the protests have some serious bargaining power and certainly have the widespread support to really press for change. For me, the levels of violence and the ability of the movement to communicate an objective set of demands will prove to be pivotal in the coming weeks.
What I can say is, I am privileged to be here witnessing this historic point of this fascinating country’s history.
Jennifer Kim 