November 15, London – Fight Fascism on Brazilian Campuses As…

November 15, London – Fight Fascism on Brazilian Campuses

As students, faculty and staff in London, we take inspiration from the resolve of brave students at the Federal Fluminense University in Rio de Janeiro State, who flew a banner on their campus reading “Law FFU – Antifascist” before it was taken down on the 23rd of October. Their banner will fly again in London and on social media to make clear that every banner that is taken down, we will hang back up as a landmark. Come and join us on Thursday to raise the antifascist banner on SOAS campus together with students and supporters from alla cross London. If you want to help mobilise, get material or join Ele Não Students London, please write us a message on FB. We will have speeches by solidarity activists from London, and greetings from students from UUF law which we will read out. We, Ele Não Students London, declare our vigorous solidarity with the people of Brazil as they defend and struggle against Jair Bolsonaro’s electoral coup and his regime’s fanatically bigoted and bloodthirsty agenda. We believe that no matter the followers Bolsonaro’s neofascist politics maintains among the police, the armed forces and various layers of the electorate, it commands no popular mandate either in Brazil or abroad – yet. Indeed, if the resurgence of fascism and the far-right worldwide knows no borders, neither can the forces of collectivity, solidarity and resistance. We believe if Bolsonaro’s grip on power cannot be broken by popular resistance, his rule will be a lesson to governments elsewhere both in the defeats they can impose on the majority of us at the bottom of society and by way of which methods. Bolsonaro’s coup threatens to inflict horrifying violence on the environment, the poor, indigenous peoples, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of colour, women, students, peasants and workers, and imperils the struggles of ordinary people from below everywhere. Ele Não Students London hope to participate with other universities, civil society organizations, trade unions and labour parties in a mass, democratic campaign to help procure all material and moral resources necessary for those under attack and fighting back in Brazil. This will mean strengthening links from below and across borders between indigenous, feminist, LGBTQ+, environmental, student, anti-racist and workers’ organizations as well as campaigns demanding open borders at home for political enemies of Bolsonaro’s agenda and against political recognition of his regime. The struggles of the Brazilian people against fascism and the far-right we will reinforce abroad and carry on against those same forces at home. We call on all to join us in building this international movement of anti-fascist solidarity and struggle.