Brazil: Note on lies told about FIP-RJ and MEPR revolutionaries by the PSTU political party
“Last night, about 40 bullies admittedly linked to FIP tried to invade our headquarters, breaking windows and objects, and threatened about 10 PSTU militants who were inside.” And later: “This was an attack on the headquarters of an organization of revolutionary struggle and that has always been part of the struggle of workers, women, blacks and the LGBTs, it’s fascist political organizations like MEPR and FIP that only strengthens the policy of the rich and powerful, to divide and criminalize social movements and leftist parties. ”
We say beforehand that the only information we had about the episode were reports of some people who said that militants of PSTU attacked three Black Bloc activists in dispersing of yesterday demonstration, a fact that the PSTU Note, incidentally, does not clarify. We don’t need to justify ourselves to this group, with which we do not maintain any political or ideological identity. Just to show the falsehood of this argument, we note that yesterday, coincidentally, after the demonstration, militants of MEPR were in a meeting in IFCS, in the presence of several representatives of the popular press and activists from various streams. After, also, we went to the National Law School, where the delivery of Chico Mendes’ Medal happened, and several people who do not militate in our chain can confirm it. As seen, the direction of PSTU chose a bad time to attack us.
We know that revolutionaries are based in fact, while all the opportunists and reactionaries use lies as a weapon, par excellence, in the political struggle. Ideologically and morally defeated by the days in June – when it was unmasked as a phony socialist group (all talk but no action), primarily concerned with bourgeois pacifist and reformist electioneering – the directors of PSTU are trying to regain some credibility at the expense of those who for months have faced – on the front lines – police repression, arrests and processes from the old reactionary state. And they turn, without feeling ashamed, to the handling and criminalization of activists, just like the reactionaries of the state and mainstream media. It is no coincidence that many honest militants have abandoned their ranks in recent months.
But this will backfire again. They say that “provocateurs” (typical police parlance) admittedly linked to FIP tried to “invade” their headquarters.
Prove, lords, the truthfulness of what you say! What banner, poster or any material made those people openly activists linked to FIP? Prove that any militant Popular Revolutionary Student Movement ( MEPR ) was in your headquarters or surroundings last night! Prove through any video, photo or other means that what you say is not an outright lie! How they lie, they cannot do it, which only will increase their demoralization within the popular movement. That’s right.
We reject the stance of those who attack as much or more the combatant youth than the state itself! We reject the stance of those who have been complicit in the practice of state terrorism against protesters, the swelling chorus of Rede Globo and PT/Pecedobê who are perpetuators of speech against the “vandalism,” and who never criticize the brutal police repression against activists! We reject those that criminalize Black Bloc’s actions and do all their acts in unity with the PT, Pecedobê, CUT and Força CTB, ie, with government forces that protect the impunity of torturers and manage the crackdown today! We reject those who never helped with a single lawyer to release the youth arbitrarily detained by police, except in cases involving its members! We reject those who betrayed the historic strike of teachers in Rio last year for fear of radicalization that rejected their conciliatory posture! We reject those who were silent when the Shock troops invaded the FIP Meeting and the Aldeia Maracanã last December, arresting activists and removing that historical space of resistance! We reject those who have never made any practical measure for campaign for the release of political prisoners and extinction of current legal processes! We reject those who use lies as a weapon in the political struggle, dividing the popular forces and making this game of the government!
We require:
- An Explanation of the episode of aggression on three Black Bloc activists by PSTU militants at the end of the demonstration yesterday ( 01 / 04 ) ;
- Prove – through photos, videos or any other source documented that MEPR militants were yesterday at the headquarters of PSTU or its surroundings at the end of the event;
- Prove that Independent Popular Front (FIP – RJ) has any involvement with said events;
Once the inconsistency of the charges is proven, make a public retraction.
We call on the people’s movement to repudiate and reject these irresponsible, divisive and sectarian practices. Political and ideological differences should be addressed in the field of argumentation, never based on assumptions and insults. There are two months until start of the World Cup and in a framework of military occupation of the favelas, we should focus our attacks on the enemy class, and it is intolerable for organizations that build popular struggle daily to be attacked in such a lightly form.
Popular Revolutionary Student Movement – MEPR , 02/04/2014
