Thousands take to streets on so-called National Fight Day
Protesters demonstrating on Paulista Avenue
Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Friday (Mar 13), as part of a series of protests staged on a day referred to as the National Day for the Fight in Defense of Workers' Rights, Democracy and Political Reform. At least 15 trade union centers and social movements participated in the demonstrations. São Paulo and Rio saw the largest number of people involved. In both state capitals, a possible call for President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment was condemned by the protesters.
In São Paulo, the gathering took place outside Petrobras headquarters. The march headed downtown. Among the exclamations one could hear “Stay, Dilma!” in response to the opposition movement calling for the president's ouster.
Representative from the Unified Federation of Oil Workers (FUP) João Antonio de Moraes drew attention to how closely united demonstrators were: “Rural and urban workers are saying that stopping Petrobras means stopping Brazil. Approximately 1.5 million jobs depend on the oil industry. Surrendering the pre-salt oil would be a crime, and the people won't accept it.” He emphasized, however, the need to investigate and punish those responsible for the corruption scheme at the state-controlled oil firm.
President of the Brazilian Workers' Center Adilson Araújo said that the protest is an act in defense of governability and the constitutional right to keep Dilma Rousseff as the rightful president. “The working class understands taking to the streets is necessary. We have the duty to fight with the current conservative Congress for a positive agenda, an agenda that makes it possible for Brazil to continue the cycle of changes started by [former president] Lula.”
Onofre Gonçalves, head of the Confederation of Working Men and Women of Brazil, said that the action opposes the call for Rousseff's impeachment, even though it is not against the anti-government demonstration to be staged in several cities throughout the country on Sunday (Mar 15).
According to Gonçalves, apart from showing support for the Brazilian oil giant, demonstrators call for a political reform, which includes the end of private financing for electoral campaigns and the preservation of labor rights.
Rio de Janeiro
In Rio de Janeiro, people convened in the district of Cinelândia, in the city center. Protesters were seen carrying flags representing Petrobras, the Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST) and the trade union centers.
Attending the demonstration, chairman of the Truth Commission of the State of Rio de Janeiro Wadih Damous said that he was present as a common citizen expressing his support for Petrobras and the state of law.
“Stay, Dilma!”
“People are coming because they're worried about what's going on in the country. There's a scenario plagued by political intolerance, a scenario with a clearly coup-oriented bias. Having the concept of impeachment provided for in our Constitution doesn't mean you can go around demanding it. Impeachment is something specific, and the Constitution stipulates what the requirements are. Going out to the streets and calling for impeachment isn't like going to the beach,” Damous argued.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Thousands take to streets on so-called National Fight Day
