Brazil, Rhizome - January 18, 2013 - S?o Paul metropolitan boiling, against all increases! (By Caio Ferreira Martins) (pt)

These struggles brought experiences of radical mobilization to cities, which have yielded 
achievements and will certainly be marked in memory of the population. By Caio Martins 
Ferreira ---- After the municipal elections, public transport back on the agenda of the 
day - now no longer in campaign promises, but in the decrees of the mayors authorizing 
increases in the passage. In the metropolitan area of ??S?o Paulo, the price of the bus 
[bus] has risen to at least 18 cities. In most of these places, people organized 
themselves to protest. In these organizations, there are generally one or another person 
who has participated in demonstrations or activities of the Movement Passe Livre (MPL) in 
S?o Paulo, and then who comes into contact with the movement for support. To the extent 
possible, the MPL has tried to strengthen these street fights, always with the Fanfare of 
MAL ("Autonomous Libertarian Movement"), a rebel battery that gives the cadence of the 
demonstrations.

Cotia

Reelected in Cotia, Mayor Carlos Camargo decreed in November increased bus fare to $ 2.60. 
In response, local activists organized a Committee of Struggle for Public Transport and 
called for a demonstration against the increase in the city center. The event brought 
together only 40 people, but still had power, animated by great fanfare and with support 
of the local population - which was visible when shopkeepers booed an MP [military police 
member] who showed his gun to intimidate the protesters.

After the act, the Committee decided that it was necessary to deepen the debate with the 
people in the communities and conduct meetings to discuss the plight of transport - in 
Cotia, while students are entitled to a free pass (achieved with a lot of fight in years 
90), there are 15 neighborhoods in the city do not have access to public transport. A 
first activity with the MPL happened in the CDHU Jd. S?o Miguel.

Osasco

After the increase in the rate of R $ 3.00 to R $ 3.30 in early December in Osasco, a 
group of students scored a cram school demonstration by Facebook. Of the more than a 
thousand confirmed, only 50 attended. Protesters who were, in general, had only previously 
participated in the protests against corruption in the city - acts that, driven by 
right-wing groups in general tend to be timid, limited to the display of signs at the 
crosswalk [pedestrian crossing] . In this context, the intervention of the MAL Fanfare 
introduced a new aesthetic element, which raised the political experience to another 
level, giving greater strength and confidence to act on the protesters.

In jester, there was a meeting that decided to take the street and go to City Hall. But 
upon arriving at City Hall, the parade find the doors closed. Decides to return, but this 
time making the trip through the Autonomists Viaduct - a major route of entry of Osasco. 
Enthusiastic about the strength of the act, over the bridge, the protesters decided to sit 
down and block the flow of cars. Only half an hour later comes the PM [Military Police] 
demanding the release of transit. You made a deal and march resumes its way back.

The second act was soon summoned to the next day in order to escrachar [insulting 
collectively] the mayor and his secretaries publicly during the delivery of a broad 
reform. The inauguration of the event, however, was cleared yesterday. But the event 
happened the same way and, even under heavy rain, 60 people marched to the Terminal Vila Iara.

Over those two days, was noticeable growth of the movement: an act that started as a 
Facebook event and maybe even have left the assembly point gained strength and 
radicalization about to block a bridge for half an hour and invade a terminal . The 
Fanfare and MPL certainly played a role in the beginning of this process, but in the end 
they were already completely expendable because the protesters themselves took the 
organization act. In 2013, the group reunited marked pamphlets, and another protest is 
being organized.

Tabo?o Sierra

"U.S. $ 3.30 is robbery," said a graffiti in front of the City Council of Tabo?o in early 
2013. With the same slogan, local activists called for a demonstration against the 
increase, which brought together nearly 100 people and was received at City Hall by 
Secretary of Communication. The demonstrators rejected the proposal that the Secretary was 
formed a negotiating committee and demanded that any conversation was made with all 
present there. The secretary gave in and got the proposal of a meeting between the 
Movement, the City and transport companies. To confirm the proposal, a second 
demonstration also took place the next day, and the meeting was scheduled for June 22.

On day 16, however, Mayor Fernando Fernandes went public to announce the repeal of the 
tariff increase, which again cost ? 3.00. The rationale for the measure is that, under the 
contract with the City Traffic Pirajussara, there should be an interval of at least one 
year between each increase and, in the case of the last adjustment, this rule was not 
respected.

The reversal of the increase was expected by many activists because Fernandes had promised 
to lower the price of the bus during the election campaign. This does not diminish the 
achievement of the struggle: the pressure exerted by movements certainly had an important 
bearing on the decision of the mayor. But the movement remains alert to any political 
maneuver and not let his guard down: a new act is scheduled for the 22th, to demand a 
guarantee that the increase will not happen again.

Maua and ABC

In Maua, where bus fares went up 40 cents in late 2012, the mobilization was built more 
solid. In addition to an intensive outreach work with collage lambes and leafleting around 
the city, the organizers (who are identified by the virtual community "Yes Politics, Not 
rascality") sought support not only the MPL and fanfare, but other organized groups in 
region, as Apeoesp, OAB, the student movement, and even anarcho-punks militants PT (same 
party of the mayor).

Result: The first act against the increase in Maua, on day 5, almost a thousand people 
gathered. Unprepared to manage a march of this size, the police took a "ol?" of the 
protesters, who locked the entrance of the Central Terminal, halting the flow of buses. 
Worried about radicalization after one hour lockout, organizers called the act from the 
top car sound, to follow-up and shut up in the square of the Bible. Seeing the strength of 
the movement in Maua, but unhappy with the lack of space in the organization and sound 
car, student Trotskyist currents called the meeting of a Committee Against Unified 
Increases in the ABCD Region and Maua, overlapping the areas of organization existing in 
each municipality. The meeting came a day before a demonstration against the increase in 
Sao Bernardo that was already being called by the activist group Anonymous ABC.

On the day of the act, the presence of organized currents noted more clearly, generating 
an endless controversy Anonymous meeting after claim of the presence of party flags. Under 
steady rain, 80 people marched and panfletaram the streets of Sao Bernardo packed with 
songs of Fanfare. The march stormed the municipal terminal, but civil guards pushed the 
protesters out, preventing the flow of buses were locked.

On the 12th, Saturday the second act took place against the increase in Maua, equally 
strong. The act followed by the access road to Terminal Center, whose entrance was 
protected by a line of GCMs [Metropolitan Civil Guard] with shields and batons. 
Reluctantly car sound, protesters rushed towards the terminal, excited by fireworks 
launched by the punks and the music of Fanfare. The blockade lasted for nearly two hours, 
the tension grew with the police - on the front line, already felt the pepper gas - while 
the microphone to thank the organizers insisted on "the PM [Military Police], who is here 
for us protect. "

Began the repression: the GCMs moved ahead with batons, followed by guards on horseback, 
while behind the PM Tactical Force launched shrapnel bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets. 
The sound truck fled, some of the protesters ran and others remained, throwing rocks at 
guards. Ceased pumps, the act regrouped around Fanfare, who played "Macho Macho Man" to 
the police. We recorded 20 injured and 3 detained. In the meeting, it was decided to march 
to the police station, demanding the release of fellow.

The city had stopped. In downtown streets, dumpsters face, stones and shells on the floor 
trading closed doors and people had gathered on the sidewalks watching the parade, which 
was still firmly under the rain. They received pamphlets expressing solidarity, "they 
steal in driving and if we complain, catch." Protesters followed by a circuitous route, as 
police still blocking some roads until they arrived in front of the police station 
[squad]. They sang: "Or loosen the hold three or all at once." Suddenly, a car pulls Force 
Tactical sopet?o of the corner and four cops [cops] to jump out at gunpoint. Some 
protesters begin to run, but the Fanfare not retreat and act remains united. No 
repression. Companions who were inside the police arrive with the news: the three would be 
released and those who were in the emergency room already spent well.

And Saint Paul?

Demonstrations also took place in other cities of the metropolis, as Barueri, Carapicuiba 
and Franco da Rocha, where the fight was regionalized, involving Caieiras and Francisco 
Morato. In the state capital, the possibility of an increase in the bus fare is placed 
since the end of 2012, when the House passed a budget predicting a cut of $ 300 million in 
compensation for tariff subsidy in public transport. During the vote on the budget, the 
MPL has come to mobilize, with street actions and interventions in public hearings.

The mayor-elect Fernando Haddad was always emphatic that his only commitment is to not 
increase above inflation. More recently, declared that the passage should rise in the 
first half, perhaps between May and June, to avoid the impact on inflation, at the request 
of the Minister of Finance.

This situation has generated a different scenario of recent years, when the increase in 
S?o Paulo preceded (and justified) increases in neighboring municipalities. In those 
years, was the fight against the increase in Sao Paulo that has stimulated the development 
of struggles in other cities. This time, we have the reverse: the metropolitan struggles 
are generating a climate of tension even before the passage up in the capital. Regardless 
of how much able to stand firm and strengthen the battle that lies ahead in S?o Paulo, 
these movements are important in themselves. His struggles brought experiences of radical 
mobilization to the cities, which have yielded marked achievements and will certainly be 
in memory of the population.

Note on the Author

Caio Martins Ferreira is militant Movement Free Pass.
http://passapalavra.info/?p=71068