the last donut of the night
24th January 2012, 11:44
it seems there is no outside news source of this. however, i thought it'd be important to share, seeing both the brazilian and international media like to portray this country as a social-democratic economic powerhouse wonderland. yet our police forces are one of the most violent in the world. my translation was done in a jiffy, so i apologize for the awkward phrasing and all.
Recife students and workers are currently protesting the recent bus fare price hikes. After a violent military police repression of the peaceful march, protesters are again organizing themselves in the front of the university Law School, near the May 13th Park, in the city downtown area.
Police surrounded the site and began firing rubber bullets at the demonstrators. This aggressive attitude is a reminder of the time of the military dictatorship, seeing that in this same place student demonstrations were often on the receiving end of police batons and guns.
According to local information, the police are trying to arrest the 400 or so workers and students occupying the law school. It seems many people are injured. The general feeling among the protesters is one of fear and tension.
How it all began
On January 20th, a meeting was held in the Greater Recife Transportation Consortium in the Quay of Santa Rita a neighborhood located in the downtown area of Recife. Big business's proposal for the bus fare hikes was a rate of 17.2%, but the final approved number in the bus fare adjustments was of around 6.5%.
Not satisfied with the price increase, a peaceful march this morning to the consortium to express worker and student indignation with the price increases was organized on the internet. However, with a repressive attitude long unseen in Recife, riot police began to fire on demonstrators with rubber bullets and tear gas.
The Public Ministry [akin to the US Dep't of Justice] and the OAB [Brazilian Order of Lawyers] are negotiating the withdrawal of the military police presence, as the protesters are surrounded and retained.
Recife students and workers are currently protesting the recent bus fare price hikes. After a violent military police repression of the peaceful march, protesters are again organizing themselves in the front of the university Law School, near the May 13th Park, in the city downtown area.
Police surrounded the site and began firing rubber bullets at the demonstrators. This aggressive attitude is a reminder of the time of the military dictatorship, seeing that in this same place student demonstrations were often on the receiving end of police batons and guns.
According to local information, the police are trying to arrest the 400 or so workers and students occupying the law school. It seems many people are injured. The general feeling among the protesters is one of fear and tension.
How it all began
On January 20th, a meeting was held in the Greater Recife Transportation Consortium in the Quay of Santa Rita a neighborhood located in the downtown area of Recife. Big business's proposal for the bus fare hikes was a rate of 17.2%, but the final approved number in the bus fare adjustments was of around 6.5%.
Not satisfied with the price increase, a peaceful march this morning to the consortium to express worker and student indignation with the price increases was organized on the internet. However, with a repressive attitude long unseen in Recife, riot police began to fire on demonstrators with rubber bullets and tear gas.
The Public Ministry [akin to the US Dep't of Justice] and the OAB [Brazilian Order of Lawyers] are negotiating the withdrawal of the military police presence, as the protesters are surrounded and retained.