Brazil, FARJ: About the recent attempted criminalization of struggles (pt)

Since the fighting began in June 2013 witnessed a massive attempt by the bourgeois media 
in taming suffocate or capture the agendas of popular struggle. The protest June and the 
following months, which had as its main focus, requiring the strength of the streets, 
social rights (reduction of passage, health, better education etc..) Tried to be 
appropriate for their reactionary opponents. ---- Another issue is that the bourgeoisie, 
the federal government (U.S. and allies) and the average conservative sectors of society 
never accepted the fight tactics (attack private property and resistance to police 
violence) and mass mobilizations (favela, students, unions etc..) that were forged by the 
demonstrations. Fearing a "crisis" in full World Cup fumble business capital and 
elections, the Brazilian government was quick to use legal tools enabling the rapid 
repression of protesters, political organizations and workers' organizations.

The fight against fare increase

The memory of the mass of the acts of June and July the struggles against 
rising return passage like a nightmare on the head of the federal and state governments. 
The strategy used is now trying to quell the fight against the fare increase before a 
possible expansion of the acts. Only eight months after the tariff reduction by the force 
of the streets, the mayor of the river, Eduardo Paes criminally authorized the rate 
increase, contrary (to be expected) the technical reports of the Court of Auditors of the 
Municipality, which recommended a reduction in the tariff for ? 2.50. The Free Pass 
Movement of Rio de Janeiro (RJ-MPL) together with other collectives and political 
organizations, responded to the increase with a string of street acts of political elites 
and the answer was always the same: repression.

The act of the day February 6 and its two deaths

The act of the 6th of February was marked by strong repression of PM, who 
threw bombs go everywhere, including within the Central Brazil, where there were many 
working women and men and even kids circling. The consequence of this debacle PM was 
terror on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The result was that there were two deaths: the 
Bandeirantes TV cameraman accidentally hit by a rocket, and a camel, hit by a bus while 
fleeing the bombs PM. We deeply regret the death of these two workers and sympathize with 
their families, but denounce, as well as other social movements and organizations that 
both deaths were fruits of the criminal activity of the PM and the transport policy of the 
Government of Rio de Janeiro , which insists keep the rate increase to R $ 3.00 and beats 
protesters openly. Is the situation of barbarism instrumentalized by the high cost of 
living, and military domination extermination of the poor (UPPs), racism, widespread 
inequality that lead / the workers / as the limit. Still, we are keen to stress that none 
of the protesters do, even a clumsy attitude, can match the daily violence of the 
capitalist system, the state and its domination. Nor can we ignore the fact that popular 
resistance seen in acts (Black Bloc tactic) came just as a response to police violence and 
the daily violence of the capitalist system.
The media, of course, always in line with the dominant desires tried to 
emphasize only one of these deaths (the cameraman Santiago) and even before the 
fact-finding, evaluating, periciou, judged and sentenced two protesters on national 
television, willfully ignoring the numerous deaths and injuries caused by the action of 
the Military Police since the demonstrations of June. Farce was mounted.

The criminalization of struggles

From this conservative sectors, with the support of PT tried to orchestrate a 
strong reactionary consensus using sensationalism and exhaustive repetition of the images 
on TV. It is already clear that the whole rotten system of the machine is in operation. By 
inventing the "disease" also brought the "bitter medicine": the discussion of the bill 
499/2013 Touch the box and legally regulates "terrorism". The Rio de Janeiro came also the 
absurd accusation that the protesters receive 150 dollars to go to the demonstrations and 
the suggestion of the Secretary of Public Security to ban masks in demonstrations and 
tougher penalties on protesters. Ie, the terrorists are those that advocate for social 
rights. Also called "Human rights groups" are being criminalized, harassed and threatened 
by the demonstrators seeking to defend, or even the poor in general who suffer violent 
police actions such as the recent slaughters (Tides, Oath, among others) or even fascist 
actions as torture was the black teenager in the Flamengo neighborhood.
Moreover, it is already known and notorious fact, that the Military Police, 
the Brazilian Intelligence Agency and the Special Secretariat for Large Events Security 
[1] guard, trigger, sabotage, riding legal farces, infiltrate and map potential "threats" 
to hosting of the World Cup. Any resemblance to the laws of the military regime in 1964 is 
no coincidence. Incidentally, for those who think the comparison is exaggerated, an 
ordinance signed by Rousseff on December 20, 2013 allows the Army "combat blocking public 
roads and the offensive against sabotage the sites of major events." Justice as we 
remained as usual, next to the rich and powerful and sets the stage for a process of 
collective criminality that must be denounced by all popular movements, political 
organizations and trade unions.

Challenges to the left, to the struggle and workers

Despite this reactionary offensive have already been expected by all / as we 
must be careful not to fall into several pitfalls it poses. Taking advantage of an 
isolated fact, the media is working (as did since June) to "separate" the protesters 
between two groups (vandals and demonstrators) and thus better split up. This action aims 
to empty the potential radicalism and adherence to the protests. Thus force, many sectors 
of the left who believe in electoral process, to commit as "moderate" during the World 
Cup, as if that were preventing widespread repression that is announced. The fact is that 
at this moment we must also be calm and serenity, avoiding the easy temptation of 
sectarianism and political myopia that does the job that you want the enemy, seeing 
scapegoats and enemies within our ranks or just looking for within our organizations.
We must also strengthen the collective decision-making and dialogue, such as 
the assemblies that are always continually held before the Acts against the increase, to 
strategize and define paths to be followed collectively by all (or as much as possible 
people) . The deepening of the reactionary attacks requires us to advance in maturity and 
organic nature of the struggles, we must work with security policies and action not to 
make easier the police repression nor allow individualistic attitudes or clumsy or worse, 
infiltrates, which endanger our collective security at that time.
We need to work to actually build a drive on the streets and on the bases. 
Fighting for claims concrete is the most effective way to bring people to our side, 
overcoming the hegemony of the media machine. We need to shake agendas that communicate 
with the reality of the oppressed and not fall into the trap set by the bourgeoisie to 
isolate us politically or divide us at a time when this and politicians unite to try to 
crush us.
We do not hide the strategic or principled differences within the left and we 
will not at this time "sweep everything under the rug." But we need, beyond differences to 
build a strong popular consensus on the streets. Without the massive presence of 
organizations and movements of workers run the risk of passing this time only on the 
defensive, which is exactly what the bourgeoisie and the PT government want and are 
articulating.
It is necessary that the working class is articulated and conquer the 
streets, with their demands. And as a small grain of sand in this universe, that is the 
task that is modestly FARJ committed to make this short period of struggle and reaction.
Protesting is not a crime!
By reducing the passage!
Fighting, create, popular power!

[1] Brazil spying on protesters to prevent damage to the World Cup. Estad?o Blog. 
02/07/2014. Available at < 
http://blogs.estadao.com.br/link/brasil-espiona-manifestantes-para-tentar-evitar-danos-a-copa/> 
,.
[2] Killed and Injured in Protest. Indymedia . Available at < 
http://www.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2014/02/528893.shtml
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* Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro (FARJ)