Military source claims that as many as 14 million could have mobilized across the country, which would constitute the largest protest in world history.
Egypt once more defied all expectations on Sunday, when Tahrir Square was re-occupied and millions took to the streets across the crisis-ridden country in an attempt to push President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power and resume the revolutionary process that was kick-started with the spontaneous popular uprising that toppled Mubarak in January and February 2011. While the protests remained mostly peaceful, the health ministry has reported that at least 16 people have died and 781 have been injured in inter-factional clashes since Sunday. Continue reading “Egypt: Millions on streets demanding Revolution”
This isn’t your ordinary protest – this is a revolution.
Over one million people have taken the streets of Brasil in all the major cities of Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Rio, Belem, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte. Protests have been a common occurrence in Brasil, but for the past two weeks, the number of protests and people in the streets has been increasing phenomenally. Last time the streets of Brasil were this full for a political cause was for the impeachment of president Collor in 1992. That was twenty years ago. This isn’t your ordinary protest – this is a revolution.
So what is it about? The international media understands the gist of it, but they don’t see it as game changing as brazilians all over the world have come to recognise.
CNN reports “they complain that corruption is driving up the World Cup expenses at the cost of the poor.”
The New York Times reports they are “venting their anger over political corruption.”
Aljazeera reports they want ‘hospitals not stadiums’, and questions this is beyond the fare hikes.
BBC reports “the unrest was sparked by transport price hikes in Sao Paulo but it has now grown into broader discontent over poor public services and corruption.”
The international media doesn’t realise yet the gravity of this upheaval. Let me explain, Brazilians have always had too many reasons the people have for being in the streets but it was unlikely they would go.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
The truth is, Brasil is a self-centered country. The only portuguese speaking country in Latin America, yet you will be hard pressed to someone who speaks spanish. And even with only a year left for the World Cup, foreigners will be sure to struggle. The Brazilians who went go through private schools, learned English all throughout the school and still have a poor grasp of the basics.
Comedy within a nation say a lot about how a nation sees itself: Americans enjoy one-liners portraying the comedian as someone smart, in a heroic position; the British celebrate their failures, portraying the comedian as someone who wants to be taken seriously, but their dignity is continuously compromised; Australians joke of their acceptance in who they are – they have no dignity and are not trying for it; whereas Brazilians make jokes of their misery, they take the edge of their hard lives by changing the title from ‘news’ to ‘joke’. They don’t even have to try hard for comedy.
It is a country where corruption is so common that when it enrages one person it is met with indifference from others who experience the same injustice. People are desensitized. And this is the most surprising element of these protests – over half of the people in the streets are in their 20s. This is the generation that grew up with entertainment at their finger tips, the most distracted generation, so much that they are telling each other to ‘leave Facebook’ and ‘leave Candy Crush’ to join the cause.
This is why they are hashtagging ‘the giant has awoken’; for years they have experienced the same misery and not given a second thought. The country has awoken from its apathy and is asking to #ChangeBrasil.
We denounce the persecution of anarchism and demand the release of five jailed
35days after being arrested by the Catalan police, on orders from Madrid five young anarchists are still imprisoned stillunderdispersion andisolationin the prisons of Soto delReal, Alcala Meco,EstremeraandAranjuez. Thesupport groupin Barcelonahas opened awebsiteexplaining theircurrent situationand how toshow themsupport. (see below) Continue reading “Barcelona march: Free the Facebook Five!”
Brasil: Cientos de miles de personas salen a las calles contra la subida de los transportes publicos y los gastos del Mundial
por Kaos. América Latina
Los sectores que vienen promoviendo protestas contra un fuerte aumento en las tarifas del transporte amenazaron el lunes con hacer movilizaciones más grandes todavía, lo que aliment temores de que se repita la brutal represión policial de los últimos días. Continue reading “Brasil: Se extiende la Rebelión Masiva/Giant Rebellion!”
Urban transformation projects have long been threatening living spaces of Istanbul residents. First slum demolitions, and then 63 million square meters of forests to be pillaged for the third bridge, shopping malls built one after another, luxury hotels, and while the pedestrianization project continued, next was Gezi Park. Istanbul residents continued to resist all of these projects that threatened life. Until excavators came to Gezi Park and uprooted the trees; Continue reading “Turkey: This is just the beginning; fight on”
Last week the five anarchists in Barcelona were dispersed to various prisons , all in the Madrid area, before they were in jail in Soto del Real (Madrid) . They remain in custody due to ‘risk of flight’ and in solitary confinement under the ‘FIES3’ regime as decreed by Judge Pedraz, the case manager. Continue reading “Barcelona 5 still jailed: Solidarity Day June 21st”
The Free 
