2016–2017 Brazilian Protests
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 2016–2017 Brazilian protests were popular demonstrations that took place in different regions of Brazil after Dilma Rousseff's impeachment. The marches were marked by the slogan "''Fora Temer''" (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
: "Temer Out").


Background

After Dilma Rousseff's impeachment, part of the population was dissatisfied with the Temer government, especially due to allegations of corruption among several members of the cabinet. Protesters also claimed that there was insufficient justification to constitute a crime of liability in the impeachment process, since "fiscal pedaling" was common practice in state governments. Measures by the Temer government, such as planned reductions in public education and health funding, the possibility of charging for public higher education and the reform of labor laws, also motivated the demonstrations. In addition, important ministries such as
Culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
,
Racial Equality Racial equality is when people of all Race (human categorization), races and Ethnic group, ethnicities are treated in an egalitarian/equal manner. Racial equality occurs when institutions give individuals legal, moral, and Civil and political r ...
,
Human Rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
and Women's Affairs were abolished and the Amnesty Commission was reduced.


Demonstrations


2016

Since the beginning, the Temer government faced protests. His first interview for ''
Fantástico ''Fantástico'' (originally known as ''Fantástico: O Show da Vida'', Portuguese for ''Fantastic The Show of Life'') is a Brazilian weekly television news program broadcast on Sunday nights on TV Globo since August 5, 1973, created by José Bon ...
'' was greeted by the population with "''panelaços''" and "''apitaços''", as well as slogans such as "''golpista''" ("scammer"), in different parts of Brazil. On 17 May 2016, associations such as the National Union of Students ( Portuguese: ''União Nacional dos Estudantes'' - UNE'')'', the Popular Youth Uprising (''Levante Popular da Juventude''), the Socialist Youth Union (''União da Juventude Socialista'') and the Brazilian Women's Union (''União Brasileira de Mulheres'') led around 8,000 people to
Paulista Avenue Paulista Avenue (Avenida Paulista in Portuguese language, Portuguese, ''Paulistas, Paulista'' being the demonym for those born in the state of State of São Paulo, São Paulo) is one of the most important avenues in São Paulo (city), São Paulo, ...
in
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
to call for Temer's resignation. In May 2016, as a reaction to the closure of the Ministry of Culture, activists from the sector occupied the agency's headquarters in several states and chanted "Temer Out" along with the ''
Carmina Burana ''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreveren ...
''
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
. The
Gustavo Capanema Palace The Gustavo Capanema Palace (), also known architecturally as the Ministry of Education and Health Building, is a government office building in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As the first modernist project in Brazil, it is historically import ...
in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
and the Funarte buildings in
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
,
Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
and São Paulo were occupied. The movement was supported by artists such as
Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...
and
Arnaldo Antunes Arnaldo Antunes (, born Arnaldo Augusto Nora Antunes Filho, September 2, 1960) is a Brazilian singer, writer, and composer. He was a member of the rock band Titãs, which he co-founded in 1982 and left ten years later. After 1992, he embarked on ...
, who played concerts at the Capanema Palace. In the same month, Temer reactivated the Ministry of Culture. On 17 May, during the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in France, members of the Aquarius crew, including director
Kleber Mendonça Filho Kleber Mendonça Filho (; born 22 November 1968) is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter, producer, and critic. Early life With a degree in journalism from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Kleber Mendonça Filho began his career as a fil ...
and actress
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
, held signs protesting against Dilma Rousseff's impeachment. On her official Twitter account, Rousseff thanked people for their support. On 21 May, a group of around sixty protesters occupied the area outside Temer's residence in São Paulo. The following day, the São Paulo Military Police banned access to the site claiming that it was a "presidential security area". On the same day, there was a protest in Rio de Janeiro, where Michel Temer had planned to attend the inauguration of the
LRT Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
, but the ceremony was canceled. The 2016 edition of
Virada Cultural Virada Cultural Paulistana is the biggest 24-hour festival in the world, that began in 2005 and occurs annually (usually during the month of May) in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Events at the Virada Cultural include various live music concerts, ...
was characterized by protests against Temer, with screens on the stages displaying the phrases "Temer Out" and "''Temer jamais''" ("Temer Never"). On 10 June, demonstrations were held across Brazil; in São Paulo, thousands of people gathered in front of the
São Paulo Museum of Art The São Paulo Museum of Art (, or ') is an art museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered a landmark of ...
(MASP). It was called by the Brazil’s Popular Front (''Frente Brasil Popular'') and the People Without Fear Front (''Frente Povo sem Medo'') and included movements and trade union centers such as the Unified Workers' Central (''Central Única dos Trabalhadores'' - CUT), the National Union of Students, Brazilian Workers' Central (''Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil'' - CTB, the
Landless Workers' Movement The Landless Workers' Movement (, MST) is a social movement in Brazil aimed at land reform. Inspired by Marxism, it is the largest such movement in Latin America, with an estimated informal membership of 1.5 million across 23 of Brazil's 26 sta ...
(''Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra -'' MST) and the
Homeless Workers' Movement The Homeless Workers Movement (, MTST) is a social movement in Brazil. It originated from the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (). Although the MTST can trace its first urban activism efforts to the occupation of Campinas in São P ...
(''Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto -'' MTST). A sound truck was placed for politicians and social leaders to speak, including former president Lula. Besides protesting against the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, the groups campaigned against the social setbacks of the Temer government, for workers' rights, for democracy and against the pension reform. There was no consensus on the plebiscite for new elections. In August 2016, Temer was booed at the opening and end of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. On 7 September, protests occurred in 25 states and the
Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...
; the largest demonstration happened in
Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...
. On the same day, he was booed at the opening of the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...
and at the civic parade celebrating Brazil's independence in Brasilia. On 22 September, trade union centrals promoted the National Day of Paralysis and Mobilization of Categories against the proposed reforms in labor and social security legislation in several states. 32 cities registered demonstrations and the actions were supported by the Brazil’s Popular Front and People Without Fear Front movements. Demonstrations against the PEC on the Public Expenditure Cap were held in several states and in the Federal District on 24 October, 11 November and 25 November 2016, on Paulista Avenue on 27 November 2016, and on the Esplanade of Ministries on 29 November, when the
Federal Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. Senate or the Senate may also refer to: * Any one of the national senates in the world, including ** The Australian Senate ** The Brazilian Senate * ...
was scheduled to vote on the amendment.


2017

In 2016,
Constitutional Amendment A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...
no. 287, which requires workers to have at least 25 years of social security contributions and a minimum retirement age of 65, was approved. The reform was implemented by Henrique Meirelles, then Minister of Finance, due to a R$316.5 billion deficit in the
social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
system.On 15 March 2017, protests occurred in nineteen states and the Federal District against the proposed pension reform sent by the Temer government to the National Congress. They were organized by trade unions and movements such as Unified Workers' Central, National Confederation of Education Workers (''Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Educação'' - CNTE), Brazil’s Popular Front and the People Without Fear Front. The stoppage of public transport and the occupation of public roads caused disruption, especially in São Paulo,
Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the larg ...
and Salvador. In a speech, Michel Temer supported the reform as the only way to guarantee pensioners' benefits in the future. On 28 April, trade union federations and left-wing movements called a
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
against the government's proposed pension and labor reforms. There were demonstrations in 25 states and the Federal District, with public services being paralyzed, violent actions by activists, clashes with the military police and an attack on Michel Temer's house. The public transport sector was affected in all the capitals, which made the streets practically empty. In the
ABC region The ABC Region is an industrial region in Greater São Paulo, Brazil. The name refers to three smaller cities south of São Paulo, capital of the Brazilian state of the same name. Originally, these three cities were Santo André, São Be ...
of São Paulo, Brazil's main automotive hub, around 60,000 workers from automakers and other companies in the sector joined the strike and paralyzed vehicle production. In a statement, President Michel Temer criticized the protests. According to him, "small groups blocked highways and avenues to prevent the right of citizens to come and go, preventing them from reaching their place of work or moving freely". On Twitter, Dilma Rousseff commented that "the mobilization in defence of labour and social security rights unites workers and shows the strength of their resistance". Many other politicians and national leaders addressed the crowd and the international media covered the event extensively. On 17 May, after the allegations of recordings against Temer, a protest took place in front of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), which brought together around a thousand people and blocked part of Paulista Avenue. The group shouted slogans and called for the impeachment of Temer. The demonstration was led by the People Without Fear Front and joined by the Landless Rural Workers Movement. According to the leaders, around 200 demonstrators were expected to head to Brasilia to march outside the Planalto Palace. On 18 and 21 May, other protests were held in different states and in the Federal District.On 24 May, during a large demonstration, several protesters launched shots at police officers who were patrolling the entrance to the Esplanade of Ministries, which led to a general confrontation and caused the destruction of signposts and ministerial buildings, resulting in small fires inside the
Ministries of Agriculture Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
,
Planning Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. Some researchers regard the evolution of forethought - the cap ...
and Culture. The Unified Workers' Central estimated that the actions brought together two hundred thousand demonstrators throughout the day. According to the Federal District's Public Security Secretariat, seven people were arrested under suspicion of damaging public property, contempt and illegally carrying a weapon. By 7.30pm, 49 people had been injured, including protesters and military police. To contain the situation, the government mobilized 1,500 army troops, which was severely contested. On 28 May, a demonstration in support of direct elections occurred on
Copacabana Beach Copacabana ( , , ) is a Brazilian (neighbourhood) located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is most prominently known for its 4 km (2.5 miles) balneario beach, which is one of the most famous in ...
with the participation of Cordão do Bola Preta and singers such as Mano Brown, Otto,
Maria Gadú Mayra Corrêa Aygadoux (born 4 December 1986), known professionally as Maria Gadú, is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist. Gadú has been nominated twice for a Latin Grammy Award. She released her first album in 2009, self-titled ''M ...
, Pretinho da Serrinha,
Milton Nascimento Milton Silva Campos do Nascimento (; born October 26, 1942), also known as Bituca, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Nascimento has recorded 32 studio albums and has won five Grammy Awards, including Best World Music ...
and
Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
, as well as left-wing politicians and actors including Daniel de Oliveira and Sophie Charlotte. According to the movement's organizers, there were between fifteen and fifty thousand people. On 4 June, another demonstration in favor of direct elections took place at Largo do Batata in São Paulo with the participation of singers such as
Chico César Chico César (born January 26, 1964, in Catolé do Rocha, Paraíba, Brazil) is a Brazilian singer, poet, composer and songwriter. Early years and career Born in Catolé do Rocha, Paraíba, Brazil, he was transferred to João Pessoa, where ...
, Maria Gadú,
Criolo Kleber Cavalcante Gomes (born September 5, 1975), known professionally as Criolo (formerly Criolo Doido), is a Brazilian rapper and songwriter who has been nominated for four Latin Grammy Awards. He began his career in 1989 and initially gained ...
,
Emicida Leandro Roque de Oliveira (born August 17, 1985), better known by his stage name Emicida, is a Brazilian rapper, singer, songwriter and MC. The rapper is known for his impromptu rhymes, that made him one of the most respected MCs in Brazil. Reg ...
,
Pitty Priscilla Novaes Leone (born October 7, 1977), better known as Pitty, is a Brazilian Rock music, rock singer. She had played in two bands, Shes and Inkoma, before starting her solo career in 2003. She has sold over 2 million copies in her care ...
,
Tulipa Ruiz Tulipa Ruiz Chagas (born October 19, 1978), also known mononymously as Tulipa, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and artist. She self-describes her musical style as "forest pop". Biography Tulipa Ruiz Chagas was born in Santos, São Paulo on Octo ...
, Mano Brown, Otto and Simoninha. The demonstration was organized by social organizations including Brazil’s Popular Front, People Without Fear Front, Unified Workers' Central,
Centre of People's Movements The Centre of People's Movements or Popular Movements Central (, CMP) is a Brazilian left-wing social movement organization that articulate various social urban movements in their common and general struggles, such as housing, health, women ...
(''Central de Movimentos Populares'' - CMP), National Union of Students and Popular Youth Uprising. The leaders addressed the crowd to criticize the Temer government and demand direct elections before 2018. The event was called “''SP pelas Diretas Já''" ("SP for Direct Elections Now") and, according to the organizers, was attended by around 100,000 people. On 30 June, new protests against the labor and pension reforms were held across Brazil. The central unions wanted a general strike, but only a few categories joined in and the mobilization weakened. In São Paulo, Paulista Avenue was blocked by representatives of political parties and workers' centers. Many slogans were heard against Temer, mainly demanding that he leave office.


Government reactions

Initially, Temer and his team belittled the protests, describing them as insignificant and conducted by small groups. Later, they embraced the idea of respecting the right to demonstrate.


See also

* 2021 Brazilian protests * 2020 Brazilian protests * 2015-2016 Brazilian protests * 2013 Brazilian protests *
Impeachment proposals against Michel Temer The impeachment proposal against Michel Temer, the former President of Brazil and former vice-president, consisted of an open procedural matter with a goal to preventing the continuation of the mandate of Michel Temer as vice president/acting pre ...
*
Diretas Já (, ''Direct (Elections) Now'') was a 1984 civil movement in Brazil which demanded direct presidential elections. Participants The movement brought together diverse elements of Brazilian society. Participants came from a broad spectrum of poli ...
*
2014 Brazilian economic crisis From mid-2014 until late 2016, Brazil experienced a severe economic crisis. The country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by 3.5% in 2015 and 3.3% in 2016, after which a small economic recovery began. That recovery continued until 2020, when the ...


References

{{Government of Michel Temer 2016 protests 2017 protests Protests in Brazil Riots and civil disorder in Brazil Government of Michel Temer Political history of Brazil