By CARLA TEIXEIRA*
19J will be just one of the many manifestations to come
“We decided: from now on / We will fear misery more than death” (Bertold Brecht in “Resolution”, in the play The days of the Commune)
The last democratic demonstrations on May 29 were a success. The Brazilians who took to the streets gave the country and the rest of the world lessons in civility and individual and collective health care. Footage showed everyone wearing a mask, in many places physical distancing was respected with protesters marching peacefully in kilometer-long lines. From north to south of the country, the cries of protests were unison: Bolsonaro out, dignified emergency aid and vaccine for all now.
It is estimated that, on May 29, 400 people took to the streets to protest and show solidarity with the nearly 500 deaths caused by the pandemic and the complete disregard of the country's authorities. For this June 19th, the expectation is that at least 1 million people take to the streets in acts already confirmed in more than 400 cities in Brazil and abroad. As expected, the demonstrations grew and the feeling of indignation at the tragedy that hit the country tends to coalesce in slogans against the genocide practiced by the current military government.
Bolsonaro knows his potato is baking and everything indicates that 2022 will not repeat the electoral fraud that benefited him in 2018. That is why he imitates the Italian fascist, Benito Mussolini, and calls his supporters for motorcycle rides without any popular support (it is estimated that only 6 thousand people participated in the “motociata” of São Paulo). We must stick to the numbers, because if the government is against the people and has all the strength and structure of the State, the fact is that we are the majority that has the conditions for popular mobilization and the political action necessary to dictate the destiny of Brazil .
Coup threats are constant and permanent, but what other option does Bolsonaro have? The CPI on the Genocide has been confirming with data, facts and evidence what many people have been saying for some time: Jair Bolsonaro decided not to buy vaccines, he bet on ineffective early treatment while the practice of “herd immunity by contagion” kills hundreds of thousands of Brazilians abandoned to their fate by a government that loves torturers and reveres the dictatorship. Everything indicates that, upon leaving power, Bolsonaro and his henchmen (including the general henchmen) will be held accountable, also in international courts, for the deaths they caused and the crimes they committed against human life.
Everything that goes up, comes down. It's the law. Jair Bolsonaro is the protagonist of an intentional and continuous crime against the lives of Brazilians and, sooner or later, he will be held responsible for his actions. We must not be intimidated by the violent threats from Bolsonaro and his military henchmen. We will have to – organized and mobilized – give due place to each of the traitors of the homeland who harmed Brazil and killed Brazilians in the name of individual and corporate interests. 19J will be just one of the countless manifestations to come. Again, we will shout in unison that we want democracy, we want vaccines, we want worthy emergency aid, we want respect: Out with Bolsonaro! To defeat the virus and liquidate the worm.
* Carla Teixeira is a doctoral candidate in History at UFMG.