Mobilisation in Brazil

The support of the population to the demonstrations is huge, and the number of protesters is increasing day after day, fueled by the indignation provoked by the criminal activities of the police forces, commanded by the governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), who has already injured hundreds (bombed with tear gas and shot by rubber bullets) and detained a huge number of protesters (under illegal and pathetic “accusations” as, for instance, carrying vinegar – used as protection against the tear gas).

The shocking images of repression moved the population, had international repercussions and recalled the dark days of military dictatorship. Again, Alckmin, led a bloody action against the people, as he and his Militar Police did in the massacre of the residents of Pinheirinho, in São José dos Campos (SP). The same thing that they do, every day, with the numerous of killings (a truly genocide) of young black people in the suburbs.

Because of that, today, the 17th of July, the city of S. Paulo is going to be taken by what will surely be one the biggest demonstrations in our recent history. Now, more than ever, it’s time to take the streets by the repeal of the increase of the passage and against repression!

We, from the the Socialist Workers’ Party – United (PSTU) are proud to be part of the demonstrations, side by side with an increasing number of social, popular and youth organizations, and we are calling all the international organizations and activists to express the support to this struggle, through motions, messages and the organization of protests all over the world, as it has already happened in around 30 cities worldwide.

Immediate withdrawal of the increase in tickets! Punishment for those who ordered the repression! Demilitarization of the police! No more massacres

Meanwhile, Fernando Haddad, the major of S. Paulo, who belongs to PT, the same party of President Dilma, insists on keeping the absurd rate of R $ 3.20 for the bus fare.

During his electoral campaign, Haddad used the chaos of public transport in SP to win the votes of workers and youth. He promised a lot of things, but, so far, the only thing he really did was to increase the bus fare to further the profits of entrepreneurs. And, to make matters worse, Haddad has been supporting the repression of the military police.

After the negative impact of police action, on the 13th, Haddad said he was against "the possible excesses of the police", but at no time he condemned the police action or stand in favor of dismissal of the commander responsible for police repression. But not only that. Haddad has increased bus fare against the will of the people! Haddad (PT) teamed up with Paulo Maluf (PP), a well known corrupt and active supporter of the dictatorship, to win the city major hall and ally himself the corrupt big business and against workers and youth. We can not trust this government.

The annulment of the increased passage does not end the struggle for public transport, access and quality! In São Paulo (SP), the population coexists with the daily chaos: crowded bus, stopped traffic and highly expensive fares! Haddad does not say the truth for the people. If the transportation fare accompanied inflation over the past ten years, the ticket price should be R$ 2.10, and not R$ 3,20. Haddad delivers R$ 6 billion a year in subsidies to large transport companies. Not by case, the same ones who financed his election campaign.

If we had the investment of 2% of the national GDP in public transportation, we could nationalize the system, ensuring services with quality and for free for the need people. Because of that, PSTU defends: Nationalization, now! Against the privatization of the subway! Free pass for students and unemployed, now!

Broadening and unifying struggles to defeat inflation, the decrease of wages, the privatizations and repression!

The struggle of youth and workers of São Paulo was the trigger for protests that are shaking dozens of cities across the country. Hundreds of acts are scheduled for the next days! It is time to unify the struggles, especially at that moment when the demonstrations (including those ones against the amazingly high and scandalous corrupt expenditures with the World Cup) are facing fierce repression of the Federal and the State police!

Because of that, the PSTU also advocates unification of struggles in a national day against rising transport and repression!

In the streets, the people are demonstrating that nobody is up to tolerate the indifference to education and public health, which are abandoned, as the government invests billions on overpriced stadiums for the World Cup. Inflation erodes wages and high food prices take food from the table of the worker. Therefore, we require that Dilma Rousseff (PT) to freeze food prices and tariffs!

There is no doubt, as the protesters remind proudly in their chants and political slogans yelled on the streets, that this movement, besides moved by its specific demands, echoes the mobilizations of the youth and workers all over the world, in an increasing number of streets and squares: from Puerta del Sol, in the Spanish State, to Tahir, in Egypt; from Taskim, in Turkey, to Syntagma, in Greece.

Exactly because of that, more than ever, it’s time to International Solidarity. It’s time to raise our voices, all over the world to remind governments, bankers and bosses that the youth and the workers will not accept to pay for the crisis created by their endless greed.

Protest in the way you can! Support and join the struggle of the Brazilian youth and workers.

Socialist Workers’ Party – United

Partido Socialista dos Trabalhadores Unificado (Brasil)

17th of July, 2013.