THIS WEEK IN PROTEST — Brazil, 13 March.
3.5 Million Brazilians Protest Against Their Government. PHOTO REPORT.
When injustice becomes a law — Resistance becomes a duty.
This Week In Protest is dedicated to demonstrations in Brazil. Each week, people around the world take streets to remind their governments that their voices matter. In this series I collect the best images from protests around the world. Enjoy.
TRENDING HASHTAGS — #contracorrupção #FORADILMA
BRIEF
Brazil faces the worst recession in a century and the biggest corruption scandal in its history. The political and economic situation is so tense that Brazilian citizens demand Dilma Roussef (their president) to resign — the demands which she calls illegitimate.
What’s Happening?
There’s a reason why the largest ever protest in Brazil happened this week. I connected with people who went to the demonstration and they said that the political situation in their country is sliding into a ‘total chaos’.
Over the past few years, many Brazilian politicians, including the former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (or as people call him Lula) were put under corruption investigations.
Rouseff introduced several reforms to restore the engine of Brazilian economy, but they failed.
People don’t trust her government anymore. There comes a time that you cannot trust your politicians anymore. That you cannot control politicians anymore. And it seems that time has come to Brazil.
Protester’s Words:
“This is the worst political crisis since the 1980s…and the numbers point out that we’re facing the worst recession since the 1930s.”
“Lula [former president] is back in our parliament… This must be a joke… I think we are going to have another manifest at 30/3… We must change!!!”
“It’s not just the rich. Everyone is suffering…. Dilma is ruining the country. She has to go.” (1)
FACT SHEET:
3.5 million people went on the streets on Monday — another large demonstration is expected on 30th March.
Dilma Rouseff appointed former president of Brazil as chief of the cabinet to get popularity after Monday protests. But…
Thirty minutes- it’s the time the former president Lula was the chief of the cabinet of Dilma Roussef. He was forced to resign as the fresh protests started to kick off on the same day of his appointment.
26 out 26 states witnessed protests. In other words entire Brasil is unhappy with their government.
There was not a single violent incident during the demonstration. Just imagine 3.5 million people protesting and not a single violent incident!
What people at protests say?
Brazilians are very friendly people! So many have contacted me and asked me to write this post for you — I didn't expect so much help. There were different people, from different cities and different backgrounds, but they were all saying that ‘something needs to change’. They don’t trust their government and their oppositional politicians either, but they want fresh minds in the government to drag country out of the economic crisis.
One of the protesters told me that he is concerned about the far-right groups like these:
He said:
“This banner … represents a small but noisy group of people who believe a military coup is the solution. It’s written “Military intervention now!”
What Can Happen?
It’s quiet likely that in the next few weeks, we may see new elections in Brazil. This is what one kind protester has said:
“…70% of the population supports the impeachment and the Congress is trying surf on the streets’s movement (which support the impeachment). If this happens, the vice-president Michel Temer will be the new President. This scenario would be good for economy but bad in every other way…”
It’s quite likely that I’m going to write another post about Brazil in the next few weeks to update you on the developments. I received so many photos from demonstrators and I have put Brazil on my Top-Destinations-List. I hope to visit very soon.
I’m still receiving photos and here is one from Wednesday demonstration. It’s made right after the former president — slash — 30 minute minister resigned:
This post wouldn’t be possible without of help of great ‘Instagrammers’ who agreed to share their photos to make this post.
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