Red Flag supports this solidarity statement published by the communist youth group, REVOLUTION. Also available in Portuguese.
The members of REVOLUTION, an international communist youth organisation, express our full solidarity with the school and university students protesting against the austerity policy of the Brazilian government.
The occupation of over 1000 schools and some 100 universities is an enormous inspiration to us. We are particularly encouraged to hear that in many institutions students are working together with teachers, lecturers, and staff to combat the drastic cost-cutting measures. The “MP 746” bill severely affects teaching of foreign languages, physics, art and social sciences. In addition, the law “Escola sem Partido” (School without Party) attempts to deny teachers and students the right to discuss politics. The fact that private universities are being promoted and that access to universities is to be restricted still further for pupils from the working class and the urban and rural poor shows that we are dealing here with an attack not only on the youth, but also on wage earners and the oppressed as a whole.
As REVOLUTION, we reject the proposed constitutional amendment as well as the legislative proposals of the right-wing PMDB government, which came to power through an institutional coup, and we support the struggle of the Brazilian students, students and teachers against this. We do so because young people are always the first to be affected by these cuts – aimed at women, LGBT people and the racially oppressed. This attack is only one of many they are determined to force through at any cost. The PMDB is solely interested in “solving” the crisis of capitalism in Brazil at the expense of the working class, the youth, the landless, the inhabitants of the favelas.
They want to solve the current economic crisis by privatisations and closures which will hit the population. They are not afraid to unleash police repression against young people or squatters. All the more admirable is the courage of the students in Curitiba and Belo Horzionte who, through the establishment of self-defence groups, have halted attempts to break their occupations by right-wing extremist groups and the police. The establishment of self-defence groups linked to with democratic coordinations for the country-wide direction of the actions would be a huge step forward.
Temer’s putschist government did not expect your resistance. If it can unite with mobilisations by the trade unions, left wing and socialist organisations, the MST (Landless Workers Movement), the MTST (Homeless Workers Movement), as well as other social movements, the attacks of the government on you and the working class can be repulsed. An indefinite general strike that brought down Temer would be a victory not just for you – it would be a victory for all young people and workers worldwide fighting back against the advance of imperialists and right-wing populists.
Together with other youth organisations, we in REVOLUTION have been organising school strikes and demonstrations against the rising tide of racism in Europe, in particular against Fortress Europe and the forced deportation of thousands of refugees.
Your struggle is an example to us and an encouragement not to let up in our efforts.
Long live international solidarity!
