Wolfhead
Count
Guys, I'm not trying to preach or tell you what to do, or anything, and I try to not be serious most of the time when I'm here.
I also know this is not facebook, and if this post is seen as not appropriate, the admins are of course, welcome to delete it.
But here's the thing. We are currently in a series of protests all around the country not un-similar to the Occupy movement, and, in São Paulo, the situation is getting dangerously close to the situation in Istanbul. I have not found a single article that was not based on our own media's reports, which are obscenely biased towards the government, especially when it suits them (and it does). So I decided to elucidate it here, because there are people from all around the world in this forum, and I know some of you are football fans.
So here's a bit of a background. Firstly, the FIFA world cup, which is to happen here in Brazil next year caused a series of privatizations of public spaces, not to mention over-budgeted stadium constructions and reformations, as the governments around the country try to get everything in accordance to FIFA regulations, and to make everything nice and cozy for the tourists.
On the other hand, we have an appalling amount of corruption in our system. Politicians are pretty much expected to embezzle, and meanwhile, our health system, public transportation, public safety are completely deteriorating, and everything else is being slowly whored out for corporations in exchange for cash.
And along with all that, the Moralists in our country, mostly evangelical preachers who managed to get into congress, or have enough influence (read: money), attempt to remove even the most basic rights of everyone who is not a white male christian.
They oppose gay marriage, fight tooth and nail so abortion can stay illegal here, and recently, they are trying to pass a law that will deny the right to abort to women carrying babies with Anencephaly, to pregnant women who have cancer, it will deny them the right to chemotherapy, and not only it will make it illegal for a victim of rape to abort the child conceived in the act, it will give the rapist paternity rights over the child.
So finally, when state and city governments decided to hike up the prices of public transportation, it all came to a head. Protests exploded (so to speak) in many major cities in the country.
But right now the problem isn't any of those. Right now the problem is police brutality. The police has been acting as a major repression force, specially in São Paulo, where riot cops were arresting people for carrying vinegar ( for soothing the pain caused by tear gas) or even raising their shirts or scarves around their face to protect themselves against the gas. They have been rubber-bulleting and macing people indiscriminately, men, women, teenagers, the elderly, journalists, ambulances (!), no one is spared. Not even people coming and going to work, who had nothing to do with the protests are spared. We have also found footage of policemen infiltrating the protesters to incite violence in order to discredit them, and even breaking their own cruisers' windows so as to look like the protesters did it.
I'm posting it for awareness, as well as to get your input on the matter and humbly ask for you to watch your footie from the comfort of your countries next year, because if you come here, this is what will be waiting for you beneath the surface. Heavy corruption, hospitals that can't help you if you need them, and fascist cops.
