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Sao Paulo (Brazil) is under a disguised dictatorship

brazilian demonstrator | 22.08.2007 15:48 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

It’s a disguised dictatorship, with press freedom, but no freedom for public demonstrations.

The brazilian state of Sao Paulo (the richer brazilian state) is under a new kind of dictatorship. In this disguised dictatorship, the press has “freedom”, you may write and publish everything, BUT there are no more rights to public demonstration, or worker’s strikes.

The facts are clear: every time when people make a public demo, when people march on the streets, police comes and attacks demonstrators.

- This occurred on December 2006, when students tried to protest against the raise of the prices of the ticket of urban bus.

- This occurred again on this year, on March 8, when protestors gone to the streets against the visit of George W. Bush. With no provocations, with no reasons, police attacked demonstrators.

- And happened again, on June, when the students of the University of Sao Paulo tried to make a march until the state government palace.

- On August, after a general strike of the Metropolitan Subway workers, the government simply dismissed 61 workers who participated in the paralyzation, what is a clear attack to the right of workers’ organization.

- Also on August, another attack to the right of workers’ organization occurred in COSIPA, a metalwork plant in the city of Cubatao, when police attacked a public meeting and demonstration of the workers, outside the factory.

- On August 21, police brutally attacked a symbolic occupation on the Sao Francisco Law College, and arrested occupiers (students, peasants and supporters).


There is no more right to demonstrate, no more right to workers and students to protest, every time police attacks. It’s a disguised dictatorship, with press freedom, but no freedom for public demonstrations.

brazilian demonstrator