domingo, 16 de junho de 2013

Far beyond 20 cents (Brazilian Riots)

Foto: Eduardo Knapp/Folhapress


Foto: Giba Bergamim Jr. / Folhapress

”The student of radio and TV Gabriela Lacerda, 24, was with her boyfriend at the “Charme da Paulista Bar” on the corner with Casa Branca street, when a group of policemen carrying shields and “tonfa” (a kind of truncheon) approached clients and put the tables and the chairs down which were on the side walk.

The police officers required the employees of the bar to close the doors and screaming out and pushing them back, inquired all of the clients to go home."  Folha .com

Foto: Eduardo Anizelli/Folhapress

This news that for being so extraordinary to that country seems a historical anachronism, since it could - with some minor adjustments in terminology - easily be printed in some newspaper from São Paulo in the 60s or 70s. Actually it is a brand new news. Protesters say they are opposed to the increase in bus fares in Sao Paulo and various urban centers of Brazil have been organizing marches during this week to show their displeasure. The press, both written and televised, in the first instance and in general emphasized the excesses caused by protesters, highlighting the acts of vandalism that they had practiced during the protests.

However, last Thursday 13th, many media have changed the tone of its criticisms and began to emphasize the brutality of the police. Several journalists were arrested while doing their work, and moreover several others were injured by rubber bullets fired by police. "A photographer, who was covering the protest against the high transport rate in São Paulo yesterday in the center of the state capital, was hit by a rubber bullet in the eye and takes the  risk of losing his vision." Folha 


Foto: Kátia Passos/Divulgação
Photographer Sérgio Silva, from Futura Press, hit in his eye by a rubber bullet.


Foto: Diego Zanchetta/Estadão Conteúdo
Repórter from Folha Giuliana Vallone: hurt in the eye aparently by a rubber bullet fired by the poplice

Even the famous anchor and opinion maker  Boris Casoy from Band TV channel had to adapt his conservative discourse to emphasize the loss of control of the Military Police force from São Paulo.


Mayor Fernando Haddad, said the images of violence by the police were "deplorable and are not consistent with São Paulo." However he said the fee reduction is not an option and added that "The city cannot submit the game of all or nothing. Or it is the way they want or do not have conversation. "

Governor from the state of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin also stated that "As to reduce the value of the ticket, there is no possibility."

Many have been manifesting so strongly these days, from both sides, for and against these events. Arnaldo Jabor, folkloric commentator from Globo channel distilled his well formulated criticism against protestors "avenge for what?" Referring to lack of cause from the  protesters. He still added  "these rioters from middle class are not worth twenty cents." Referring to the twenty cents of increase occurred in the rate of public transport fees.


Political scientist Carlos Novaes in their participation in the “Jornal da Cultura” from TV Cultura Channel  defended protesters saying the fact that the protesters have 3,000 reais to bail and, protest against 20 cents fare increase should be overcome. For "the fact that the parents of the protesters have the money for paying the bail does not mean they cannot have a political position against rising rates that reach the entire population."  Jornal da Cultura 07/06/2013



Foto: Sebastião Moreira/Efe


Foto: Drago/SelvaSP





My Opinion:

We saw vandals smashing windows of stores taken by a terrible hatred in their eyes. We have seen horrific images of military police soldiers bleeding after being hit by stones thrown by protesters.
There is no denying, these events were brutal to those who witnessed it. And the media with their role of informing helped disseminate this radicalization of a movement that preached a peaceful demonstration. Of course, if the media in this country was confident I could finish this article right here. But I'm not satisfied with the reviews I have read and watched about these events.

Brazil is experiencing a unique moment in its recent history. A moment of pure reflection. Who sees the manifestations of São Paulo only as an empty requisition, and a way to vandalize public property, is under the influence of a violent amnesia. The movement fighting for the free pass was a trigger opportunistic which has resulted in a widespread movement of revulsion at this rotten policy of this state that ooze incompetence.

This manifestation takes the streets people who are tired of paying more and more for a worse service of public transportation. And the fact that they are mostly middle-class students does not make them less deserving of being heard or use their right to protest.

The fact you are not hit by the problem does not mean you have to be silent, or cannot stand against something that is really inappropriate for a population already suffering so much with the lack of everything. Or a man cannot stand in favor of women fighting for their rights, just because he is a man?

The twenty cents that caused these events do not account to explain the whole process that is in course here now. Who could see behind the media images, noticed that twenty cents were the outcome of centuries of political inertia of the people of this country that seems now showing signs of eruption.

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