Overview

The 2015 Protests in Brazil are a series of mass demonstrations against the government of the re-elected president Dilma Roussef (Worker's Party, PT).^[1] The protests erupted after a economic crisis hit the country and the popular discontent against corruption came to a unbearable level. The majority of the protesters demand the impeachment of Rousseff.

Background

The left-wing Worker's Party (PT) is the ruling party in Brazil since the 2002 general elections. In that occasion, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated the center-left candidate José Serra.^[2] In 2005, a mass corruption scandal dubbed mensalão erupted. The scheme consisted in the misuse of public funds to buy the support of the parliament. Massive payments were given to deputies and senators from the allied base in exchange of support to Lula's government.^[3] Despite the scandal, Lula still managed to win the 2006 presidential run, defeating the opposing candidate Geraldo Alckimin^[4] and to elect his successor, former Chief of Staff of the Presidency and Minister of Mines and Energy Dilma Rousseff, in 2010.^[5] Her first mandate witnessed a series of mass protests in 2013, that were not, however, directed against her. In 2014, an even bigger corruption scandal came to the surface, this time involving the state-owned oil extraction company Petrobras.^[6] Dubbed Petrolão (big oil), the scheme involved the moving of billions of dollars from the company to political parties from the allied base, including Rousseff's and Lula's Worker's Party.^[7] Despite everything, Roussef still managed to win a second term in the 2014 elections, defeating Aécio Neves.^[8] In less than a month after the elections, right-wing protestors started demonstrations against her, calling for the start of an Impeachment procedure. Allegations of electoral fraud were not unheard.^[9] Roussef's second term started in 2015, and her popularity dropped massively thanks to the economic recession and developments in the investigations of the Petrobras corruption scandal.^[10] A nationwide series of mass protests was scheduled by right-wing internet groups for March 15, 2015.

Notable Developments

The first "Panelaço"

On March 8, 20:00 pm, the Brazilian TV channels aired a presidential speech celebrating the International Women's Day. In the speech, Rousseff tried to calm down the population by saying that the crisis was temporary. The 16-minute speech did not ended up well for Rousseff, since the population reacted with a massive and loud protest: after a call from the social networks, thousands of people, from their homes, banged cooking pots, blew horns, flickered the lights and shouted insults against the president and the ruling party.^[11] The new form of protest was dubbed Panelaço, and occurred in all major cities of Brazil.^[12] In that occasion, John Oliver from Last Week Tonight mocked Roussef and sympathized with the protesters:

March 15 protests and two more "Panelaços"

Days after the first "Panelaço" a giant street protest against Rousseff's government took place in every major city of the country.^[13] The demonstrations were scheduled by internet right-wing groups like Revoltados ON LINE (On-line Revolted), Vem Pra Rua (Come to the streets) and Movimento Brasil Livre (Free Brazil Movement). People were dressed in the national team uniform and in national colors, carried flags of Brazil, horns and posters, and shouted "Out, Dilma!"^[13] According to the Military Police, around 2.4 million people attended to the marches, one million people only in São Paulo.^[14] The protests were the biggest in the democratic history of Brazil.^[15] The demonstrations ended with the organizers scheduling a new street protest for April 12. Later in the day, an address by two of Rousseff's ministers the promised anti-corruption measures was aired nationwide, and sparked another Panelaço.^[13] On March 16, the third Panelaço took place when a recording of Roussef's speech about the protests was aired during the main television news show.^[16]

April 12 Protests

Less than a month after the March 15 protests, hundreds of thousands Brazilians returned to the streets in April 12.^[17] This time, according to the Military Police, over 700,000 people attended in the nationwide protests.^[18] The protestors mainly called for the Impeachment of Rousseff.^[19] A survey from the same month showed that 63 percent of the population supported the start of impeachment procedures against the president, and only 13 percent approved her.^[17]

The fourth "Panelaço"

A national program of Rousseff's Worker's Party was scheduled to be aired on May 5, at around 20:30 pm. Early in the day, the same internet right-wing groups called for another Panelaço against it.^[20] Even though Rousseff did not appear on the recording, the appearances of former president Lula and the party's leader Rui Falcão, as well as the general distrust in the party, sparked a new Panelaço in 22 states of the country.^[21]

The March for Freedom

After announcing it in April 12, members of the libertarian group Movimento Brasil Livre (Free Brazil Movement) departed from São Paulo on April 24 to a 600 miles walking march to Brazil's capital Brasilia.^[22] The journey was named "March for Freedom" by the group.They arrived at May 27, as they expected, and personally brought to the hands of Eduardo Cunha, the president of the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, a 3.000-page document to start and impeachment procedure against Rousseff.^[22] Meanwhile, the opposition leaders launched a criminal complaint against Rousseff, accusing her of involvement in crimes against the public finances.^[24]

The August Protests and Panelaço.

A fifth Panelaço took place in August 6, during the national program of the Worker's Party.^[25] A third wave of nation-wide protests was announced by Revoltados ON LINE (On-line Revolted), Vem Pra Rua (Come to the streets) and Movimento Brasil Livre (Free Brazil Movement), and took place on August 16, 2015.^[26] This time, the military police estimated 879,000 protesters, not counting the big cities of Recife and Rio de Janeiro.^[27]

During the protest in Brasília, organizers exhibited a 12 meters-tall inflatable doll of Brazil's former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, dressed in a prisoner's suit.^[28] Nicknamed "Pixuleco," the doll quickly became a very popular meme among Brazilian internet users.

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Fox News – Fresh protests break out across Brazil as thousands seek president's impeachment

^[2] NYTimes – Leftist Handily Wins Brazilian Presidential Race

^[3] BBC – Q&A: Brazil's 'big monthly' corruption trial

^[4] NYTimes – Brazil’s President Re-elected in Landslide

^[5] CBC News – Brazil's first female president

^[6] BBC – Petrobras scandal: Brazil's energy giant under pressure

^[7] Reuters – Brazil prosecutors say Petrobras scheme moved $2.1 billion in bribes

^[8] LATimes – Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff narrowly reelected

^[9] Vice News – Protesters Waste No Time Calling for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's Impeachment

^[10] Reuters – Brazil's Rousseff popularity plunges amid scandal, bad economy

^[11] Mercopress – Rousseff's message deafened by pot-banging, horn-blowing and messages calling for her resignation

^[12] Brasilwire – Mapped: The Panelaço balcony protest

^[13] CNN – Brazil protests demand impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff

^[14] Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 15/03

^[15] Veja – Dilma enfrenta o maior protesto popular da história democrática

^[16] Folha – Dilma aparece no 'JN' e provoca novo panelaço

^[17] Bloomberg Business – Hundreds of Thousands March Against President Across Brazil

^[18] Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 12/04

^[19] CNN – Protesters in Brazil push to impeach President Dilma Rousseff

^[20] Folha – Brazil Workers' Party Program Is Targeted by "Pot-Banging" Protests in at Least Eight States

^[21] UOL – Programa do PT na TV é acompanhado de panelaço e buzinaço

^[22] The Guardian – Brazil activists to walk 600 miles for free markets, lower taxes and privatisation

^[23] Yahoo News – Brazil protesters demand Rousseff impeachment

^[24] Bidness Etc – Opposition Charges President Dilma Rousseff With Public Finance Wrongdoing

^[25] Global Post – This is what it sounds like when a government is tanking

^[26] Facebook – Mega Manifestação – Não vamos pagar a conta do PT!

^[27] Globo – Mapa das manifestações no Brasil, domingo, 15/03

^[28] Reuters – Brazil protesters keep pressure on President Rousseff