Scream & Shout

This post is a follow-up on a previous post regarding the growing discontent amongst Brazilians with respect to their government and the ensuing public demonstrations.

Front page news shows a woman
getting blasted with pepper spray.

Now that the international media's attention* has been caught and eyes are on Brazilians as they take to the streets ("vem pra rua"), one goal of the people has been met: getting noticed.  If protesters wanted to have their country viewed as more than soccer, beaches, and bikini bottoms, then they have succeeded.

In some ways the demands have even been met.  Or, more accurately, one demand. The original 20 centavo public bus fare price hike from the beginning of the new year has been dropped back to what it was before.  (In Campinas the hike was actually more - 30 centavos.)  But, as many protest signs and online propaganda have alluded to, it is "more than the 20 centavos."  Some have called it the literal tip of the iceberg, while others equate it to only "a drop."

Likely the government is simply attempting to pacify citizens with the removal of the fare increase, though the success of this tactic is yet to be seen.  If it truly is about "more than the 20 centavos," then the protests should continue.  If they stop, the issue - or issues - will likely become more confusing.

The #changebrazil hashtag situation has already won some
celebrity support abroad including Katy Perry, Britney
Spears, and (pictured clockwise from top left) Mark
Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and
Beyoncé.  I've seen others "endorsements" that have been
obviously photoshopped.

In many ways, it already is.  Since the 20 centavos is only the iceberg's tip or one drop of the issue, many citizens have jumped on the bandwagon with their own sets of underlying causes and additional related problems.  Many Brazilians I have spoken to, who support the protests, fear that this lack of laser focus may be the movement's downfall.  What do they want?  Change.  What do they want changed?  Well...everything.

This now becomes another bigger and more complex problem.  This kind of "everything change" only comes with new government officials, which usually only comes from new political parties, and new elections.  And what do these have in common?  They all take time.

Surely more time than lowering bus fares.

Campinas holds its own protest within the hour at the Largo do Rosário in the next neighborhood over from where I live.  So, as I sit typing this now to the symphony of car horns and shouting from car windows 14 floors below me, I wonder what, if any, this continued message will say to the Brazilian powers-that-be and the rest of the world.

"2013: The year Brazil stopped screaming for goals,
and decided to scream for history."

Less Soccer Tournaments (Cups)
More Transportation, Health, and Education.

* Reports from the BBC, The Daily Beast, and The New York Times.

All images were taken off of various Instagram and Facebook postings.

Do You Hear The People Sing?

While unrest in Turkey and Syria, among other places, has the US media's current collective attention, expect it's focus to turn south soon.  Brazilians are taking to the street!

It's no secret that Brazil has a love affair with soccer.  It's also no secret that the country has dealt with its fair share of corruption in government.  It's ironic then, that this soccer-obsessed nation is taking such a firm stand against the prestigious hosting of several major world sporting events - currently the Confederation Cup, the FIFA World Cup in a year, and the Olympics in 2016.

Many are upset at the use of government (and tax) money to fund these events when most citizens realistically will not only be unable to enjoy them, but worse, are being caused more financial hardship from increases in cost-of-living and supposed lack of funds going towards education, transportation/infrastructure, and health care.

All one has to do is read the signage as protesters have taken [mostly] peacefully to the streets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizante, Brasília, Salvador, and other cities in recent days*:

"Excuse the disruption, we are changing Brazil"

"Welcome to Brazil
Where soap operas, soccer, and Carnival is more important than
education, health, and safety."

"When your son gets sick, bring him to the stadium."

The actual flag has the motto "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress).
This altered flag blots out key letters to instead read "In Progress."

*All the images were taken from posts on Instagram or Facebook.