In the last few weeks, some protests have been sparked in Sуo Paulo due to an increase in the price of public transport (another one). As Brazil hosts the Confederations Cup, the people kept going with their manifestations, that quickly summed up thousands of people. As the numbers grew a handful of people started to cause actual damage to public property. Well, then shit went down.



During what has become a riot, many innocent protestants, reporters and pedestrians have been harmed, people with cameras or phones were shot at with rubber bullets. The military police is also using teargas and pepper spray on protestants.

The manifestations have spread around the country. Even now, while I type this, there's one happening in my town. Every newscast in every channel is covering the events and the perspective of it stopping is just out of sight. Even the most watched Youtubers here are also exposing their opinions and taking part on the protests.

As time passed, these protests no longer focused on the new cost of the public transport only, but actually started being driven by the general aspects of how our government manages the people. Billions and Billions being invested on Stadiums, while the actual needed works are just being ignored. Roadways, hospitals, schools, everything.

Here's some information
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22946736

And you don't need to speak Portuguese to understand this:



As I said, during those protests there were, indeed, acts of vandalism. This is where I'm curious to know what do you guys think. Do people deserve to cause damage to the city, since they were exploited by the government for so long, or should they keep order in the manifestations?

In my case, I don't condone vandalism or any acts that cause damage to our property, but not because it would ''harm our identity or the public and government property'', but rather because, once you start giving the government and the media something to use against you, you're moving away from the possibility of change. Should the protests keep going in an organized manner, the people will appeal to a more respectful approach.

You can consider two points of view on whether do or not vandalism acts. You also might be aware of some parties, such as PSOL, paying people to actually destroy public property, causing police troops to attack and also bringing hate against PT (the current party managing Brazil)

From the rational side of view, every public property they broke were paid with their own money. Consider that as taking any valuable item that you have and break them on purpose.

But yet, some people still believe that the only way of actually getting the politicians' attention is using violence against public property.

I believe that we should have order during the manifestations, even though that is almost impossible considering the fact that along with the huge mass of protesters, there WILL BE at least a few vandals. I also believe that if the gorvernment still doesn't listen to the population, even with all the protest, violence and vandalism might be needed. I could say we're having right now a new Arab Spring, but on Brazil.

I don't really agree with the riots, I mean yeah sure they make a statement but is it really sending off the right message? I someone can names one time a riot brought any real change not just change to where the post poned the riots, this was not a smart move by the people. (My knowledge in black leadership yay ) mlk did the peaceful protests, hell ghandi did it before mlk so I'm not sure why people don't follow their footsteps because I'm almost sure they made huge impacts even bigger then the rioters are doing now by just doing a passive protest

"I someone can names one time a riot brought any real change not just change to where the post poned the riots"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Rebellion

I could go on. Anyways, Brazil's revolts aren't even inherently violent (or that impacting, at least as of yet). Some government buildings will be needing new windows, but you need to understand the situation where the country is in. We have the straight-up highest tax rate in the entire world. Our roads are so messed up that I've considered more than once driving out of them and seeing if dirt and mud does for smoother driving. This is the only country in the world (probably(hopefully)) that will attempt to sell you a pair of jeans for over a thousand Reais AND SELL IT because nobody else has any cheaper clothes that aren't Brazilian-made rags. We have an 100% tax rate on imports. Our television media is entirely owned by the government and it takes special care in painting the revolt as a violent and pointless riot between airing soap operas and soccer. The country's education is one of the lowest in the planet, though we supposedly have some of the highest expenditures in education in the world.

Now the laws. One of the main reasons why this revolt is happening is because the legislative branch is trying to pass a law that makes it so nobody that works in their branch can actually be prosecuted by the law. Yesterday, Feliciano, our secretary of human fucking rights passed a law where being gay is now legally a disease. The mensalao, for those of you who don't know, was an extremely long-lasting law where every politician was entitled to three extra salaries at the end of the year (they make more in one month than most people in the country make in a couple of years).

It's been like this for as far anyone can remember. This is shit out of the top of my head too, stuff that most Brazilians deal with in a daily basis. If you're asking if the violence is justifiable in these protests, I'd say it is. If you're asking me if it's necessary, I believe it sends the right message right about now. This isn't that kind of protest, Agentmax. There are no leaders, and there definitely aren't any obvious objectives. What makes all of this so scary and exciting is that the revolts are the result of the entire country collectively screaming they've had enough. You can't stop a million protesters without cutting the head out of their movement, and right now there isn't a head to cut.

*Caham*
Sid, there are 300% - 500% tax rates on imports.

Anyways... Been in Brazil, i know this shit is serious.

fucking hell, since when?

Live in brazil isn't that easy, really, we need a lot of money and after we got a lot of money, someone will steal us.
This country don't care about the people's life, the govern just want steal money.

All governments do.

We live in a democracy, and we have periodic elections for the public office, other words, all this is fault of the population. The manifestations here is only a way of the population "to correct" their mistakes.

The French Revolution was the "model" of revolution used by every future generations, as it complexity allied to it simplicity and brilliance. Yes, "brilliance" because it had the endorsement and involvement of various portions of the society, both the elite and the lower classes of the 3rd State in favor of "Equality, Liberty and Fraternity".

And it can not be very different from our little revolt.

Like our fuse, the French revolution it was the price of the bread, and it was the "last straw" to that society that faced problems of corruption from the clergy and the noble (1st and 2nd States), who hanged on live in luxury while the population lived in trash, not to mention the great influences and ideas of the Enlightenment era that did not fit with the French and socioeconomic status that seemed Utopian yet the people saw that they had the power.

This comparison serves to reassemble a little about our past and bring some back here, for us, to show that what is happening is not an isolated case in our Brazil, which is not something that will show up and die in a television newscast, and one day we will seeing the same images such demonstrations in the history books of the Secondary Schools.

I do not need to list that we are facing problems with corruption, we had the influences from the "Arab Spring", and the big majority of Brazilians want for the "European standard", who squander development, while we have one of the biggest GDP's of the world, with one of the most powerful economy of the world, with the best resources and technologies of the world, and however, with big socioeconomic troubles and our "last straw" was the price of the tickets, it sounds ridiculous. What they say to us, do not fit with our reality.

I know that a lot of rioters who went to streets asking for "price of tickets" do not ride by bus, i know that a lot of they are "rich" and ride by "chauffeur", and I know that a lot of they went to the streets only for the thrill of playing cat and mouse with the police. But, the great majority of "riches" who invaded the streets of Sуo Paulo a few days ago called attention of who are already tired of so much corruption and lies. In my view, it was brilliant too. We are asking for our own Flag: "Order and Progress". I saw in the newspapers now that the manifestations are happening in all our capital federal units and only tend to grow.

I think that the people need to call attention of the government peacefully, yet they start to ignore us. And then, some "broken windows" are necessary. The politicians stole billion Reais from us every year. Some "vandalism" will not be so harmful.

PS.: For your records, not all protesters are vandals, only a small portion opted to destroy the city. I am not in favor of gratuitous violence. And we're NOT experiencing a civil war.