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2013 protests in Brazil

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2013 protests in Brazil
Protesters on June 7. The main sign reads: "If the fare doesn't decrease, the city will stop!"
DateAugust 2012 – present
Location
• Brazil: Natal, Porto Alegre, Goiânia, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Belém, Vitória, Maceió, minor cities
• International: cities with big Brazilian diasporas
Caused by• Increases in bus, train and metro tickets
• Insufficient (overcrowded, low scope) public transit with overworking professionals
• Other scant public services
• High cost of living
• Funding of major sports events
• Feeling of alienation from government decisions
• Police brutality
• High rates of corruption, embezzlement and overbilling despite Brazilian politicians being perhaps the most expensive and rights holding in the world
• National Chamber's plans creating impunity for criminal activities comitted by politicians involving taxpayers' money, human rights abuses and others
Goals• Decreases in bus, train and metro tickets (or nationalization of services altogether and near or complete elimination of fares thereof)
• Get Brazil to spend more money on education, health, transportation, and maintenance of roadways and urban infrastructure instead of funding major sports events
MethodsDemonstrations, protest marches, online activism
StatusOngoing

The 2013 protests in Brazil, known in Portuguese as [Revolta do Busão] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), [Revolta do Vinagre] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([ʁɛˈvɔwtɐ] or [ʁeˈvɔwtɐ ðɐ sɐˈlaðɐ], [ðu viˈnaɣɾi], Salad/Vinegar Rebellion), [Primavera Brasileira] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [Outono Brasileiro] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([pɾĩmɐˈvɛɾɐ bɾɐziˈlejɾɐ], Brazilian Spring, and [owˈtõnu bɾɐziˈlejɾu], Brazilian Autumn, respectively), are ongoing public demonstrations in some Brazilian cities, organized mainly by the Free Fare Movement, a local entity that advocates for free public transportation. The demonstrations were organized mostly to protest against increases in bus, train and metro tickets in some cities of that country,[1][2][3][4] but are already involving other subjects such as the police brutality used against some protesters.[5][6] In mid-June, the movement grew to become the largest Brazilian wave of protests since 1992, against then President in power Fernando Collor de Mello.[7]

Background

The first demonstrations took place in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte during August–September 2012 called "[Revolta do Busão] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)" (Bus Rebellion), when protesters convinced the local city hall to reduce the fare price.[8] It then went to Porto Alegre in March 2013; protesters also convinced the local city hall to reduce the fare price there.[9]

In Goiânia, the demonstrations started on May 16th, before the prices were officially raised on 22 May from R$ 2,70 to R$ 3,00.[10] The peak of the demonstrations was on May 28th, at Bíblia Square, when four buses were destroyed, two were incinerated and two were stoned.[10] 24 students were arrested for vandalism and disobedience.[10] Another demonstration took place on June 6th, when students closed streets in downtown Goiânia, set fire to tires and threw bombs at police cars.[10] On June 13th, the fares were brought back to their previous price, when judge Fernando de Mello Xavier issued a preliminary injunction arguing that since June 1st the local bus companies were exempted from paying some taxes, but the passengers were not benefiting from this exemption.[10]

People protesting in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The sign reads "Se a passagem não baixar, o Rio vai parar!", which is translated to "If the ticket (price) doesn't drop, Rio is going to stop!"

In São Paulo, the demonstrations started when the local city hall and the government of the state of São Paulo (which runs the train and metro system of São Paulo) announced the raise of the tickets prices from R$3,00 to R$3,20[11] The previous hike of bus fares occurred in January 2011,[12] and was also subject to demonstrations.[13] As for the train and metro fares, they had been raised in February 2012, to the same price.[14] In early 2013, just after becoming mayor of the city, Fernando Haddad announced that the fares would raise in the first semester of 2013.[15] In May, the federal government announced that public transportation would be exempted from paying PIS and COFINS, two taxes of Brazil, so that the raise of the public transportation costs would not severe the ongoing inflation.[16] The fares were, so, raised from R$3,00 to R$3,20, starting on 2 June, and unchaining the demonstrations.[17]

Scant public services and high cost of living

The bus fare rise was only the tipping point to start demonstrations, due to a general feeling of disappointment towards scant public services in Brazil,[18] which are not receiving as much attention and investments as the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics that turned out to be many times more expensive than they were planned to be (for reasons that many believe that has to do with overbilling), the multibillion-dollar involving illegal activities carried out by several factions of the government (as the 2012 Brazil overbilling scandals involving mainly the DELTA company,[19] as well as general corruption and embezzlement), greater in total than the Gross Domestic Products of some of its South American neighbors, along with a feeling that the measures taken to control the inflation rates were ineffective,[20] famously pictured when the price of several fruits and vegetables, already much more expensive than the average of the 2000s, grew enormously, most humorously when the cheapest of shoes, clothes and cell phones in 2009–2012 (around R$10) were not very different in cost to the kilogram of the tomato in March–June prices, what made some to mockingly use it as 'jewelry'.[21][22][23][24]

Aside of the alleged poor state and coverage of public transit that does not justify its price (for example, Rio de Janeiro Metro, the second biggest of Brazil, serves only a thin band of the three zones of Rio de Janeiro city, lacking at the other two and all surrounding municipalities; people coming from or going to these places would generally need to pay bus fare(s) before or after paying the R$3,50 metro one), other commonly stated reasons for the malaise over seeing little welfare effects of the amount of taxes people pay includes great number of the country's mainly urban population still living in slums, being underemployed in part due to the lack of education quality in a competitive marketplace with great levels of socioeconomic disparity, living in places with poor sewage and garbage services and extremely reduced sewage treatment coverage, often overcrowded, poor and/or non-functioning health care services, an educational quality that lags behind even when compared to recent middle income Latin American countries' averages, and until the reforms preparing for the big international events to come, international airports that lagged worse than many of those of Subsaharan Africa, while the percent of the country's GPD that goes taxed is similar to that of welfare state European countries, and the fact that, in average, Brazilians work five months a year, 40,5% of their total earnings, only to pay it.[25] Taxes are about 27% of the price of basic food items.[26]

Impunity for criminal politicians

Along with the insatisfaction with the low quality of public services despite the highest taxes of all the underdeveloped world and emergent countries combined to a very high cost of living, there was also a feeling of powerlessness due to widespread corruption and embezzlement, with criminal leaders and politicians still in power even after being condemned due to widely known corruption and overbilling scandals now creating a law – PEC 37 – that will make them nonpunishable, nullifying powers of the Judiciary over the Legislative.[20] Brazilians already pay for expensive politicians, even in comparison to developed countries, or [only lawfully] around R$11,545 each minute as of 2012,[27] and they receive various different kinds of wage and retirement benefits not available for any profession anywhere in the country, such as 15 wages a year.[28]

Controversial political climate: March–June

Below are other reasons that thousands of Brazilians found this year to engage in demonstrations with a very focused end, before those against bus fare hikes epitomized in general anti-government protests.

LGBT rights

See also: Rcl 12876 and MS 32077

Brazil's Supreme Court recognized cohabitation ([união estável] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), "stable union") as a family entity (i.e. a juridically personal society, like marriage, in the same way companies are economic societies, thus granting all 112 rights of married couples) and made it available to same-sex couples on demand on May 5, 2011. Brazilian Law allows the conversion of cohabitation into a full marriage. Between 2011 and 2013, the Courts of 13 Brazilian states legalized same-sex marriage based on that.

Evangelical legislators gained influence as Marco Feliciano from the Social Christian Party (SCP), who was elected President of the Commission for Human Rights and Minorities, made inflamatory comments about homosexuality, gay people and a supposed Biblical curse on Africans and their descendants in microblogging and social network website Twitter, what sparked huge online (e.g. at Avaaz) and real life protests and condemnations from several sections of society ([Movimento Não Me Representa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), Movement [by this] I Am Not Represented). Meanwhile, in May 14 same-sex marriage was legalized in Brazil in a 14–1 vote by the National Council of Justice (NCJ), headed by the same person of the Supreme Court of Brazil, Joaquim Barbosa.

On 21 May 2013, the SCP lodged an appeal of the National Council's decision in the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil. The party alleged that the Council had committed an abuse of power and that legalising same-sex marriage was a matter exclusively for the legislature to decide.[29] For the time being, the appeal does not affect the Council's original decision in favour of same-sex marriage. On 30 May 2013, the Supreme Federal Court rejected the appeal on technical grounds, stating that the SCP had used the wrong form of appeal. The Court held that the National Council's decision could only be challenged through a "direct action for unconstitutionality" (ação direta de inconstitucionalidade) rather than an action for injunction (mandado de segurança).[30] On 6 June 2013, the SCP re-lodged the appeal.[31][32]

Protests, generally in favor of same-sex marriage, are still held over the issue, as did sections of the 16/06 and 17/06 Brasília protests.

Reproductive rights

See also: Abortion in Brazil

Brazil, as elsewhere in non-communist Latin America until 2013 (now to the exception of Uruguay), criminalizes any practice of abortion to a few exceptions, such as rape or if the pregnancy puts the life of the adult on danger, until the Supreme Court of Brazil legalized the abortion for the reason of gross fetal abnormalities that would not allow independent life such as anencephaly. This is due to the huge religious influence in the region – for example, in more conservative Chile, Nicaragua and El Salvador, all abortions are illegal, as the Roman Catholic Church recomends, even if pregnancy threatens the lives of both pregnant and fetus.

The Evangelical deputy Eduardo Cunha, leader of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (BDMP, PMDB by the Portuguese acronym), created the [projeto de lei] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (draft law) [Estatuto do Nascituro] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), nicknamed [Bolsa Estupro] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Rape Welfare) by feminists, secularists and their allies. While it does not change the country's Constitution, that permits abortion in case of rape, it estimulates women who have pregnancies as a result of rape to not terminate them by giving them a certain sum of money for three months, and the country's minimal monthly wage for all women who have children conceived by rape. Identified rapists would thus be forced to give alimony to their children, and such children, if not recognized by their mothers, would be a priority for adoption.

But this is not all. The project establishes as unborn children those conceived but not yet born, and typifies the crimes committed against them. By the text, the term includes as unborn human beings those conceived in vitro and also those ones produced by cloning, recognizing their human nature with legal protection by the "Statute of the Unborn", by civil and criminal law. The text establishes a penalty of six months to one year to the individual who refer to the unborn with derogatory words or who condones abortion. It also includes a stronger penalty for abortion, of three years in prison for those who intentionally cause the death of an unborn child, and up to two years in prison for propaganda of processes or substances that cause abortion.

It was widely protested against, nevertheless the National Chamber gave a green light to it in its full text (unlike the anti-discrimination PLC 122, sent to Brasília in 2001, that had to explicitly exclude religious institutions from the list of those punished for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other cuts of its original power) June 4, and is now in the row of draft laws in the Senate.[33] It is estimated that 1 million abortions take place in Brazil each year,[34][35] and treatment for complications of clandestine abortions are the main reason for the country's population to seek surgery at the SUS ([Sistema Único de Saúde] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), roughly National Health Care System).[36][37][38] Those kill at least 5.000 Latin American women by year,[39] and legally limiting them is not proved to help – actually, the Uruguayan government reported that less abortions were performed in the country after their decriminalization (it previously allowed it for many other more reasons than Brazil, such as socioeconomic hardship, see abortion in Uruguay).[40]

Name

The protests, especially in São Paulo, were named [Revolta da Salada] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [do Vinagre] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) after the arrest of more than 60 protesters that were carrying vinegar,[41][42][43] as journalist Piero Locatelli of the Carta Capital magazine,[44] due to vinegar's use as a means of protection against tear gas and pepper spray. This name derives from the Portuguese names of most historical urban riots in Brazil, generally named in the format 'Revolt of [Something]', such as early 20th century Rio de Janeiro's Revolta da Vacina.

This sarcastic tone is also being employed in social networks to name the fifth São Paulo protest over the issue, dubbed [Marcha do Vinagre] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) i.e. "march for the legalization of vinegar",[45] a humorous reference to the huge Brazilian popularity of the Global Marijuana March, that generated controversy and arrests before the judicial ruling that made these events legitimate due to the country's constitutionally protected freedom of speech.

Another name is [Outono Brasileiro] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (as autumn rather than spring extends from 21 March to 21 June in the southern hemisphere), a jokingly reference to the Arab Spring,[46][47] The more "serious" name [Primavera] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is also being used, though.[48]

Timeline

June 1–14

In June 2013 a series of protests in the Brazilian city of São Paulo were organized against bus and metro fare hikes. In January, its mayor Fernando Haddad announced that the bus and metro fare would be readjusted from R$ 3.00 to R$ 3.20, effective June 1st.[49]

On June 6th, the first protest was held on Paulista Avenue.[50]

Several news outlets reported that the police "lost control" on June 13th, when protesters were fired at with rubber bullets, including several journalists. Many civil society groups have criticized the police response including Amnesty International,[5] and the Associação Nacional de Jornais.[6]

June 17–18

The biggest protest happened in Rio de Janeiro, where 100.000 attended from mid-afternoon of Monday 17 June to late dawn of Tuesday 18 June, around half of those up to 240.000 to do so in the country that day.[7] Mostly pacifical, it only became violent when radicalized sections approached and then invaded the State's Legislative Chamber (there is a wide and strong feeling of insatisfaction among the fluminenses against their government, responsible for the second worse public high schools of Brazil – the only public ones that do not require competition for entrance –,[51][52][53] their overbilling and embezzlement scandals are often the strongest in the Centro-Sul, and the Religious Right, most dominant in the opposition, is more powerful – for example, for several following minutes, even the pacifical protest shouted obscene words against the governor, Sérgio Cabral[54]), what made the riot police to be called. Amidst the rioting, three were shot with gunfire, supposedly by police forces, while another 10 are still hospitalized after a day.[55] State government authorities were among the few to comment neither the protests nor the use of force by the police, and said this is an issue for the Military Police.[56]

Other protests in support of those being held at core Brazilian cities grew in tens of thousands in number, too,[7] as in Curitiba, where it was attended by over 10.000 people.[57]

Social media

The social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Orkut have played an important role in the organization of public outcries and in maintaining protesters in touch with one another.[58]

References

  1. ^ Arias, Juan (June 12 2013). "Brasil se levanta en protesta contra el aumento de los precios del transporte" (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 13 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Arias, Juan (14 June 2013). "São Paulo vive una nueva noche de protestas con escenas de guerra" (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  3. ^ Arias, Juan (14 June 2013). "Brésil : manifestations contre la hausse du prix des transports" (in French). Le Monde. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  4. ^ Brocchetto, Marilia (12 June 2013). "Protesters, police clash in Sao Paulo streets over fare increases". CNN. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Anistia Internacional critica repressão a protestos no Rio e em SP". EBC.
  6. ^ a b Associação de jornais condena ação da PM Gazeta do Povo. 14 June 2013
  7. ^ a b c Template:Es "Nuestros 20 céntimos son el parque de Estambul – Internacional – El País
  8. ^ Template:Pt Natal's chamber cancels bus fare hike
  9. ^ "Vandalismo marcou protesto em Porto Alegre contra a tarifa de ônibus". Zero Hora. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d e Diário da Manhã: Passagem de ônibus voltou a custar R$ 2,70
  11. ^ Agência Brasil: Manifestantes contra aumento da passagem entram em conflito com PM em São Paulo
  12. ^ "Tarifa de ônibus em São Paulo sobe para R$ 3" (in Portuguese). Folha de S.Paulo. 5 de janeiro de 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Magalhães, Vera (21 de março de 2011). "Grupo invade Alesp para protestar contra Kassab e aumento do ônibus" (in Portuguese). Folha de S.Paulo. Retrieved 13 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Valor da tarifa de trem e do Metrô de SP sobe para R$ 3 neste domingo" (in Portuguese). Portal G1. 12 de fevereiro de 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "São Paulo terá nova tarifa de ônibus no 1º semestre, diz Haddad" (in Portuguese). Folha de S.Paulo. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Governo confirma MP para diminuir impostos do transporte público" (in Portuguese). Portal IG. 23 de maio de 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Agência Brasil: Manifestantes contra aumento da passagem entram em conflito com PM em São Paulo
  18. ^ Acordem: R$ 0,20 são apenas um detalhe, Gilberto Dimenstein at Folha de S.Paulo
  19. ^ Template:Pt Tag Delta – Reinaldo Azevedo's blog at Veja
  20. ^ a b "What's REALLY behind the Brazilian riots?".
  21. ^ Template:Pt Tomato price reduces in retail but grews more than 300% in wholesale Revista Veja, April 2013.
  22. ^ Template:Pt Tomato is not 'the villain': understand the price fluctuation
  23. ^ Template:Pt DEM party bets on inflation and the price of tomatoes to attack Dilma
  24. ^ Template:Pt Tomato prices became a joke in social networks: understand it
  25. ^ Template:Pt Brazilians work five months a year just for paying their taxes, says research
  26. ^ Template:Pt Taxes are 27% of the price of basic food items, says research
  27. ^ Template:Pt Cost of our rulers = R$11,545 a minute
  28. ^ Template:Pt The high cost of politicians in Brazil – Jornal do Comércio
  29. ^ Template:Pt PSC recorre ao Supremo contra decisão sobre casamento gay
  30. ^ Template:PtSTF minister archives legal action against same-sex marriage from SPC
  31. ^ Template:Pt PSC entra com nova ação no STF contra casamento gay em cartório
  32. ^ Template:Pt PSC volta a acionar STF contra casamento gay em cartórios
  33. ^ Template:Pt Women protest at Sé against welfare stipend for rape victims
  34. ^ Template:Pt Doctors support legalization of abortions until 12nd week of pregnancy
  35. ^ Template:Pt Legalizing abortion until 12nd week uneducates and is gross, says bishop
  36. ^ Template:Pt Curettage after abortion are the most common surgery at SUS, research reveals
  37. ^ Template:PtIllegal abortion is the main reason of maternal death in Pernambuco
  38. ^ Template:Pt The abortion question – Dr. Drauzio Varella
  39. ^ Template:Pt No more women dying because of clandestine abortions in Latin America! – CMI Brasil
  40. ^ Template:Pt Uruguay: government says that number of abortions reduced after decriminalization
  41. ^ Galileu (magazine), ed. (14 June 2013). "How vinegar became a symbol of the "Salad Rebellion"" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  42. ^ Rodrigo Mora (13 June 2013). "Arrested São Paulo protesters claim detentions based on acts of spraying and because they carried vinegar" (in Portuguese). G1.
  43. ^ Piero Locatelli (13 June 2013). "In São Paulo, vinegar is a criminal act" (in Portuguese).
  44. ^ Template:PtJournalist arrested for carrying vinegar in demonstration against fare hiking is liberated
  45. ^ Bia Bonduki (14 June 2013). "Vinegar March is the newest revolutionary movement of the internet" (in Portuguese). YouPIX. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  46. ^ Template:Pt Youth rebellion in Brazil's autumn
  47. ^ Template:Pt Brazilian Autumn
  48. ^ Template:Pt the Brazilian Spring
  49. ^ "São Paulo terá nova tarifa de ônibus no 1º semestre, diz Haddad" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  50. ^ Moreno, Ana Carolina. "Manifestantes depredam estação de Metrô, banca e shopping na Paulista" (in Portuguese).
  51. ^ Template:Pt ENEM: 98 among the 100 worst schools of Rio de Janeiro are funded and administered by the State government – Jornal do Brasil
  52. ^ Template:Pt Sérgio Cabral and Wilson Rocha already closed 98 schools funded by the state
  53. ^ Template:Pt At high school quality, Rio de Janeiro only outperforms Piauí
  54. ^ Template:Pt So we the people give a message of love and endearment to our beloved governor! – YouTube
  55. ^ Template:Pt In Rio 3 were shot amidst protests, 10 still hospitalized
  56. ^ Template:Pt Cabral and Beltrame did not comment protests and say this is a Military Police issue
  57. ^ Template:Pt Curitiba will have new protest against fare hike this Monday
  58. ^ "SP: página no Facebook orienta manifestantes para protesto" (in Portuguese).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2013 protests in Brazil.

Template:Anti-government protests in the 21st century

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