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Brazil Protest Hijacked? I wonder if Glauber Ataide, who has been helpful so far in giving me a perspective of someone who is in Brazil could comment on the following threads from Reddit's Communism Section? I normally don't frequent Reddit, but the post has been popping up and I wanted to see the source.The first note is not the more common "starmelon" post claiming the protests have been hijacked, but is similar. It shouldn't be that improbable that the protest was "hijacked" in some areas and not in others, whether between cities or within one. StarTrackFan <http://www.reddit.com/user/StarTrackFan> 46 points 1 day ago* I just wanted to share this. A user /u/smithw<http://www.reddit.com/u/smithw>sent us this message they'd sent to mods of another subreddit and that they'd written before they knew about /u/starmeleon<http://www.reddit.com/u/starmeleon>'s post on the same subject. I want to show it because it demonstrates that this is a view shared by other comrades in Brazil who also feel *very*strongly about fighting this current. Here is the message: I'm writing to you because I really can't think of anyone else to write, and I (and my country) really need help. Right now, on the front page, there is a post with 3000+ upvotes glorifying the protests occurring in Brazil today. I need to tell someone, anyone, who's not in this country, the real story behind what's really happening here. I figured, since you people are in social justice movement, you'd be in a better position to undestand. I'm not sure if you have been following international news in the last two weeks, so I'll summarise the facts. About two weeks ago, the major cities in the country raised the bus and train fares to a value too high for the average Brazilian (which does not speak English, does not visit Reddit and in many cases doesn't even have Internet access) to afford. The rate of this last increase was below inflation, but the accumulated rates of increases in the last 10 to 15 years easily surpasses it. MPL (Movimento Passe Livre, Free Fare Movement), an organization which exists since the mid-2000s, and which is not affiliated to any political party (although it does maintain communication with minority left-wing parties), started calling for protests against the fare raise. The first two protests didn't garner much mainstream media attention, but when the third protest took over Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue), which is to São Paulo what the Times Square is to New York, the newspapers started to complain, painting protesters and the MPL as vandals and hooligans which only were interested in destroying the city. They had, in fact, used public trash bins as barricades against our violent PM (Polícia Militar or Military Police, a direct heritage from our military dictatorship period), which was using tear gas bombs, pepper spray and rubber ammunition on protesters indiscriminately. This third protest occurred on Tuesday the 18th. On Thursday, the day scheduled for the fourth protest, two of the biggest newspapers in the country printed heavily opinionated editorials calling for the PM to "take action" and not be so "soft" on the protesters, and to defend the (mostly middle-class's) right to cars to run on the city's streets. What happened, then, was a massacre: the elite squad of the PM, Tropa de Choque, transformed the fourth protest in a reign of terror. I wasn't there, but I had close friends who were, and it was scary. The Tropa de Choque officers managed to split the protest into various small groups, and stablished a perimeter around the area so that no one could leave. They would surround any small group they could and relentlessly throw tear gas bombs. A journalist (and acquaintance of mine) was arrested on charges of carrying VINEGAR (since it can be used to alleviate the effects of tear gas and pepper spray). Two journalists were hit with rubber ammunition squarely on their eyes, and one of them, a photographer, lost his vision (and most likely his profession). Several journalists were arrested and injured, and the mainstream media, mostly because some of their own were injured, changed their discourse. Since the disastrous procedure of the PM couldn't be buried under the rug (mostly because the noise on social media was too high), the mainstream media gave great exposure to this, instead. Throughout the weekend, anticipation started to mount for the next protest, scheduled for this last Monday. And that's when things started to get weird. On Monday, the biggest (so far) protest occurred. At least 65 thousand people were on the streets of São Paulo alone, although people who were there were talking about figures of 200, 300 thousand. But it wasn't the people, it was the middle/upper classes, and right-wing extremists. Militants for small left-wing parties, who hold no political power whatsoever, were openly harassed by "protesters". The protest agenda was shifted right, mostly dropping the bus fare complaint to instead focus on "corruption" (which, in Brazil, is a right-wing demand, since the party holding the power is center-leftist), "high taxes", the "exploitation of the middle-class", the excessive public spending for next year's World Cup etc. The MPL and its demands were still present, but they were silenced by the elitists' demands. The newspapers suddenly stared glorifying the protests, and in the social networks memes like "O gigante acodou (the giant has awakened)" started popping up, implying there has been no social justice movement in Brazil before, which is a rampant lie - I can attest to that, since I am part of left-wing and feminist movements myself. On Tuesday, there was another protest. This time, people destroyed the entrance to the City Hall in São Paulo. What's weird is that MPL, which called for the protest, scheduled the date and set the rendezvous point, did not go the City Hall's way. The rendezvous point was close to the City Hall, but the route MPL set for the protest was exactly opposite of the City Hall, and still a rather large group of people with national flags (which, in Brazil, is usually a sign of far-right fascist movements) and anti-taxes banners went that way. The PM, which was so ready to intervene before, stood and watched as the same people who destroyed the City Hall set a TV station van on fire on the middle of the street, according to people I know personally and who were there. Less trustworthy, but trustworthy (to me) nonetheless, rumours circulated on the social networks implying the state governor (which holds authority over the PM) had instructed the police -not to act- on any circumstances. The right-wing agenda instead continued being broadcast by the mainstream media, specially regarding the "impeachment" (lawful deposition, according to our Constitution) of the legally elected president - who is herself hated by the middle and upper classes, and adored by the lower classes. The nationalism on this protest was so thick you could smell it, as the fascism of it. On Wednesday, São Paulo's mayor and the state governor (who are from rival political parties) went on TV together to announce the bus fare increased had been cancelled. The MPL scheduled another protest today, to celebrate the decision, but is has been another disaster. This time, there was confront between the protester themselves. Left-wing protesters have been harassed. There are reports of anti-racism, feminist and anti-homophobia activists being beaten by right-wing protesters. Fascist skinheads have been spotted on the general surroundings of the protests, looking for victims. And the media is now reporting all the protests have been PACIFIC, which is an absurd lie. And the social justice people, on the social networks, have been conjuring a theory that actually makes sense, regarding our recent history. In 1964, our country has suffered a coup d'état perpetrated by the military and the establishment forces together. In the days preceding the coup, there was uprising and political instability on the country, just as today. There was a big protest, aptly named "Walk of the Family With God For Liberty", which took place a mere two weeks before the coup, and on which about half a million middle and upper class people took the streets to protest against the center-left president João Goulart. What I mean is, we have been there, we know the feeling in the air, and the anger of the middle class against a president who has some pretty left wing policies is boiling and ready to explode. >From what I've seen, today's protest was very much akin to this 1964's Walk. The MPL's protests have been hijacked by the right, and since the left won't leave the streets to them, conflicts and confrontations are sure to take place. And, what's more dangerous, the police is now ignoring it, waiting for the popular clamor to call them back into action, so they can take over, possibly together with the military. There are rumours of a state of siege being prepared on the government dark corners. I'm very worried, because these people who have "awakened" and who are now on the streets are people who look back to a time when they had unlimited and unchecked privileged, and who are so upset because that privilege has been slowly being taken away from them. They are people who hates on minorities, and who stand for exactly the opposite what I believe [you stand] for. And, mostly worrying, they have the full cooperation of the mainstream media, who had already shifted the protests' focus away from the bus fare and towards their demands since Monday. Their discourse is becoming hegemonic, and if that happens, it spells a very dark future for my country. And that is happening on the mainstream media on Brazil, and now, as I see, on Reddit too. So please, if you can do anything to help shed a light on the OTHER side of those protests here, being it a meta post on prime (I mean, you don't have to take my word for it, Google Translator does an acceptable job on Portuguese to English texts, and I can link you to non-mainstream media news sources that will tell you the exact same story I've told), or anything really, I'd be really thankful. I'm sorry for my bad English and for wasting you time with our 3rd world problems, but again, this is one of the only places I think I could be heard on Reddit. Thanks in advance. Brazil's protests have become fascist<http://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/1gremb/brazils_protests_have_become_fascist/> (self.communism <http://www.reddit.com/r/communism/>) submitted 1 day ago* by starmeleon <http://www.reddit.com/user/starmeleon> Hello comrades. I am here to give you information about what is currently going on in Brazil. I am brazilian, born and raised in the city of São Paulo, where I am currently speaking to you from. The first thing I will tell you is that you should not pay attention to what the rest of reddit is telling you about the protests, and from what I hear comrades around the world telling me about their media reports, do not listen to them either. The protests which are currently going on are severely dynamic, but they have taken a definite turn towards fascism. The context of the protest is as follows: The initial wave of protests were organized by the MPL, Movimento Passe-Livre, which is an autonomist anarchist movement, based primarily in public universities. Their main goal is and always was free, public funded transportation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_public_transport>. The protests were organized in response to (left-wing, social democrat/liberal PT Worker's Party) mayor Fernando Haddad's and (right-wing, conservative, social democrat in name only PSDB governor) Geraldo Alckimin's hikes in bus and metro fares. The protests were instantly joined by communist parties PSTU, PSOL and PCB. The MPL, due their anarchist ideology, denounced party participation. This will become important later on. The media, at first, launched a total offensive against the protests, accusing it of vandalism, and of being made-up by extreme leftists. This is a prime example<http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=luLzhtSYWC4>. They justified the actions of the armed Military Police of Brazil (which is a Gendarme), which was, at the time, shooting rubber bullets at people's faces (which is lethal), beating up primarily women, using lots of tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the movement, as well as several intimidation tactics, such as baseless arrests (including the famous arrests for vinegar posession). The media realized that despite all of their efforts, the movement had a popular agenda and had been garnering support accross progressive sections of the population. One very popular ultra-conservative pig-loving anchor attempted to ask the extremely loaded question to his viewers: do you support vandalism in ongoing protests?<http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/p480x480/600742_502485453138395_1652625808_n.jpg>only to have his primarily reactionary audience humiliate him live by voting yes. The media, realizing they could no longer discredit the movement, and noticing that their most reactionary viewers were ready to take the street, switched strategies. As I predicted in this post<http://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/1ggzfy/stand_up_with_the_proletarians_of_brazil_spread/cakfwgv>, the raging anti-communist pundit withdrew his previous opinion and started favoring the protests<http://cbn.globoradio.globo.com/comentaristas/arnaldo-jabor/2013/06/17/AMIGOS-EU-ERREI-E-MUITO-MAIS-DO-QUE-20-CENTAVOS.htm>, but also started claiming that the protests were about "much more", and started to tell his viewers that the protests were about the long running list of anti-leftist complaints that were traditionally presented by the media against the left leaning worker's party and used electorally by the right-wing PSDB. The rest of the media did exactly the same thing. They even set up the narrative on the international level, using this video that became the means through which reddit became aware of the protests<https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AIBYEXLGdSg>. This would later serve to legitimize the fascist coup in the eyes of the international audience. Now here is the tricky part. As I said in a previous post about that particular video<http://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/1ggzfy/stand_up_with_the_proletarians_of_brazil_spread/cak6y5g>you will notice that there is nothing intrinsically socialist about the video. Socialists, just as much as conservatives, are loathe to corruption, wasteful spending and the degradation of public services. HOWEVER, this has to be looked at in the context that the media has built over the years that the semi-leftist PT government has been in the presidency of the country. Maybe one example most socialists here will be more familiar with is the Venezuelan media and it's participation in the attempted 2002 coup against Hugo Chavez, who was a friend to pink-tide brazilian president Lula who was current president Dilma's predecessor<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZajyVas4Jg>. What was the Venezuelan media's strategy? To constantly pound on the viewer's minds the idea that all leftism is corrupt, to fabricate accusations daily and to create the general feeling of constant crisis. The same has been absolutely true of Brazilian media since 2000. In fact, Rede Globo, which has the near-monopoly of TV audiences, which is owned by the billionaire heirs of Roberto Marinho, who had a personal fortune of 60 billion dollars, had previously attempted in 2007 to spark an artificial "popular" march against the PT government led by several celebrities on its payroll<http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimento_C%C3%ADvico_pelo_Direito_dos_Brasileiros>. *I SHOULD ALSO STRONGLY REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE 1964 MILITARY COUP WAS PRECEDED BY A MILLION STRONG REACTIONARY MARCH ON THE STATE OF GUANABARA ASKING FOR FASCISM AGAINST THE REFORMIST SOC-DEM JOÃO GOULART*<http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcha_da_Fam%C3%ADlia_com_Deus_pela_Liberdade>. So to those who are simply enamoured by any public protest thinking its impossible that the right can muster popular support, stop being so fucking naive. Now, you're probably asking, "how can you suggest that the current protests are fascist? You're out of your mind!". Well you are reading this and you are probably not in Brazil, watching how giddy the media is with the whole thing. You are probably not aware that the agenda against "corruption" was suggested by the military chief of police when negotiating with MPL<http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/brasil/sp/2013-06-17/comandante-geral-da-pm-sugere-politizacao-de-protestos-em-sao-paulo.html>You are also probably not aware that the large majority of the opposition to the Worker's Party does not come from the radical left, as I wish it did, as MPL does, but it comes from PSDB and half of their electors are nostalgic of our fascist dictatorship. So they are going out there and asking for a new one<http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/q71/s720x720/972005_274587252681267_195263270_n.jpg>. The sign says "military intervention now. For the *democratic* government of civilians and military" which is, I'm sure, how he remembers the 1964-1986 period to be. As I write this, thousands of right wing militants are *BURNING RED FLAGS*<http://imgur.com/hHL7oPo>in Paulista Avenue and demanding the impeachment of brazilian president Dilma Roussef. These militants are those who think that democracy only exists when married to neoliberalism, so in her place they want to install PSDB or the brazilian equivalent of Pedro Carmona. Many leftists are only now waking up to this fact, there have been some interesting attempts to make people aware of the oncoming fascist coup by some artists<http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/p480x480/936406_251728094965815_2063686524_n.jpg>, which are conscious <http://www.pirikart.com.br/image/53331393870> of the media and right wing hijacking of the initial protests. Context: The toucan is the mascot for the right wing party. The other comic shows how the protest's agenda was hijacked by right wing demands. Now, the leftist parties have attempted to reclaim their movement and to fight against the reactionary agenda which always masquerades as "apolitical" demands for the moralization of politics. The right wing and the media have as such appropriated the anarchist "anti-party" discourse to denounce the left-wing in the protests, and some radical right wingers are demanding the extinction of parties, much like the 1964 military dictatorship proceeded to do. MPL and the anarchists are failing to react to this and are fueling the right wing rhetoric. There are also sections of the left which are too isolated in their group of friends and comrades to realize that the majority of people participating in the marches are not their friends. The majority of people joined in after the calls of reactionary media pundits. In many cities which the protests were not started by the left the protests are solely about the right wing protesting against left-politics. Do not be naive, communists would not gather up and protest near former president Lula's house<http://oglobo.globo.com/pais/manifestantes-protestam-perto-da-casa-de-lula-em-sao-bernardo-8739640>. Meanwhile, the Federation of Industries of São Paulo State (a business owner union, if there was ever full fascism in an organisation, its this one) is supporting the protests <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTydPLKxUbw>. The brazilian Pedro Carmona sharpens his fangs. So I find it extremely upsetting that clueless redditors, especially those who claim to be socialist inclined, are basically providing international support for a fascist coup. So when the judiciary, which the media has built up as the great moralizing institution, its hero being the Supreme Court Justice Joaquim Barbosa, does some kind of maneuver to oust the left-leaning Dilma Roussef in favor of elections or whatever that bring back the neo-liberal PSDB to power, the international community will be ready to validate the coup. I should remind you all that this is the textbook tactic of 21st century fascism, as taught to us by Honduras<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Honduran_constitutional_crisis>. Brazil is in danger of going fascist, and I am sick of clueless foreigners which find out about what is going on through some stupid youtube video sponsored by some think tank like the Millenium Institute or by the brazilian equivalent of Miami Cubans and think that this is an overall positive development. Reddit disgusts me. On Fri, Jun 21, 2013 at 4:20 PM, Glauber Ataide <glauberata...@gmail.com>wrote: > ====================================================================== > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > ====================================================================== > > > Yes, mainly students and youths. What is 1 million protesters in a > population of 200 million? Just 0.5%. Do you think that's a too educated > country? > > In fact we do have workers in the demonstrations, but they're not the > driving force, that's what I mean. I myself am a trade-unionist. > > Our party (PCR - Partido Comunista Revolucionário) took a lot of poor > people with us, people who live in favelas, and do you know what happened > last Monday, for example? Some middle-class guys just took the poor's > people flag from their hands and tore them. And it was not a "communist" or > a "party" flag. It was a simple social movement flag. > > Do you know what happened yesterday when the greatest trade union > federation went to the demonstration for the first time in São Paulo? They > were just hunted down. > > Do you know what happened yesterday in Uberlândia City (Minas Gerais State, > where I live) with a social movement of HOMELESS people? They were just > hunted down too. The homeless people are not coming back to the > demonstrations. > > It doesn`t matter if we have some poor people and workers in these > demonstrations if they`re not the driving force. We need much more. And be > sure that if MST comes to the demonstrations the same is going to happen > with them, until the left-wing parties can overcome these fascist > tendencies. > > P.S.: If you want to know how we organize the poor people take a look in > this urban occupation organized by our party: > http://ocupacaoelianasilva.blogspot.com/ > > > > > On Fri, Jun 21, 2013 at 4:13 PM, Richard Fidler <rfidle...@sympatico.ca > >wrote: > > > ====================================================================== > > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > > ====================================================================== > > > > > > Mainly students? A million of them? What an educated country! Are you > sure > > there aren't many demonstrators from the favelas, which have been > bulldozed > > and occupied by the cops for the coming sports extravaganzas? Or > employees > > of those big Brazilian multinationals? Or supporters of the MST, the > > landless peasants -- "middle class" or not? I suspect a lot of workers > are > > participating in the demos, many of them not brought by the > "revolutionary > > communists." And the repression is probably teaching the demonstrators a > > lot of things the right-wing parties and media, with their single focus > on > > corruption, can't. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: marxism-bounces+rfidler_8= > sympatico...@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > > [mailto:marxism-bounces+rfidler_8= > > sympatico...@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > > ] On Behalf Of Glauber Ataide > > Sent: June-21-13 12:50 PM > > To: rfidle...@sympatico.ca > > Subject: Re: [Marxism] A Brazilian Autumn? | Jacobin > > > > ====================================================================== > > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > > ====================================================================== > > > > > > I'm Brazilian and am participating in these demonstrations. I'd like to > > highlight two things: 1) This is not a right-wing movement but > nonetheless > > 2) it's not true that this movement is a workers movement, as stated just > > before the interview in this magazine. > > > > It's mainly a middle-class students movement so far. Our challenge, as > > revolutionary communists in Brazil, is to bring the working class to > these > > demonstrations in order to avoid the huge influence of the right-wing > > parties supported by the local media. > > > > Cheers, > > Glauber > > > > > > On Fri, Jun 21, 2013 at 1:17 PM, Andrew Pollack <acpolla...@gmail.com > > >wrote: > > > > > ====================================================================== > > > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > > > ====================================================================== > > > > > > > > > Thanks, Louis, this article was VERY useful -- and immediately so! > Right > > > before receiving it, someone posted on a local Brazil/Turkey/Greece > > > solidarity list a long screed from a PT supporter claiming the entire > > > movement was a right-wing plot against the PT, that everyone should go > > > home, and that external solidarity was harmful. > > > > > > The response was quick and mature, i.e. several folks saying that the > > > dangers outlined in the Jacobin article are typical, but that that just > > > meant they needed MORE solidarity from us, not less. > > > > > > PS: NYers: come to Zuccotti Saturday at noon for solidarity with > > > Brazil/Turkey/Greece (soon Bucharest/Bulgaria/China... the US?). > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Jun 21, 2013 at 10:30 AM, Louis Proyect <l...@panix.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > ============================================================ > > > > > > > > http://jacobinmag.com/2013/06/**a-brazilian-autumn/< > > > http://jacobinmag.com/2013/06/a-brazilian-autumn/> > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > > Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > > > Set your options at: > > > > > > > > http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/glauberataide%4 > > 0gmail.com > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > > Set your options at: > > > > > http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/rfidler_8%40sym > > patico.ca > > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > > Set your options at: > > > http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/glauberataide%40gmail.com > > > > > > -- > ☭ Hasta la victoria siempre. ¡Patria o Muerte! ¡Venceremos! > ¡El pueblo armado jamás será aplastado! > Te abraza con todo fervor revolucionario, > Glauber > *Filosofia - UFMG* > ________________________________________________ > Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > Set your options at: > http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/mediacrusher%40gmail.com > -- J.A. Masko College of Communications Penn State University State College, Pa 16801 “a revolutionary career does not lead to banquets and honorary titles, interesting research and professorial wages. It leads to misery, disgrace, ingratitude, prison and a voyage into the unknown, illuminated by only an almost superhuman belief.” *Horkheimer* ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
