Last June citizens formed the biggest mass demonstrations of Brazil since the end of dictatorship in 1985. Who were the protesters? The consensus between Brazilian and foreign analysts points to the middle class youth. Indeed it is true that most on the streets were young people who had never protested on the streets before. But the emphasis on middle class is too simplistic.
Protests
The challenge of mobilizing workers and the poor continues
Last year, I wrote that it is a challenge to mobilize low-income workers and the poor in Brazil. A week…
The challenge of mobilizing the poor in Brazil
During the demonstrations in Brazil, many said the giant – the Brazilian people – finally woke up. While it is true that many young people, especially the well-off, have been more active as citizens for the past weeks than they were before, mobilizing lower-income populations remains a hard challenge.