Movements perform act in defense of the MST and feminist parliamentarians

Social movements held an act this Saturday afternoon (8) in the city of São Paulo in defense of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) and the six feminist parliamentarians who are facing a lawsuit in the Ethics Council of the Chamber of Deputies. The demonstration was held in front of the MST’s Armazém do Campo, in the center of São Paulo. Last month, the Ethics Council of the Chamber of Deputies instituted representations against deputies Célia Xakriabá (PSOL-MG), Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP), Talíria Petrone (PSOL-RJ), Erika Kokay (PT-DF), Fernanda Melchionna (Psol-RS) and Juliana Cardoso (PT-SP) for breach of parliamentary decorum. All representations were presented by the PL. According to the complaint presented by the PL, the deputies broke parliamentary decorum during the vote on the project for the temporal framework of indigenous lands in the plenary of the Chamber by shouting “Assassins! Assassins of our indigenous people!” into the plenary microphone. The act in defense of the MST is a criticism of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) that was set up in May, in the Chamber of Deputies, to investigate the performance of this social movement. In the application for the creation of the CPI of the MST, parliamentarians said they wanted to investigate the “real purpose [das invasões], as well as its funders”. The creation of this CPI was requested by Deputy Lieutenant Colonel Zucco (Republicanos-RS). He stated that there has been an increase in invasions since the beginning of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “This is an act in support of the MST, which is suffering an absurd persecution in the Chamber with the CPI of the MST”, said congresswoman Sâmia Bomfim, in an interview with Agência Brasil. “The biggest social movement in Brazil, which fights for agrarian reform, will not be hit or attacked without resistance. They have a lot of support and this is a legitimate fight,” she added. The deputy declared that today’s act is also to show solidarity with the six deputies “who, at this moment, are undergoing a process of impeachment together”. “It is the first time, in the history of the National Congress, that an attempt is made to revoke six mandates at the same time for the alleged crime of demonstrating, of expressing one’s opinion”, she said. For Sâmia, the representations in the Ethics Council are “an act of misogyny and intimidation”. “On the day of approval [do marco temporal], men also demonstrated. But it’s only the women who are on the Ethics Board,” she said. For the MST lawyer, Ney Strozakem, who also participated in the act, the MST CPI “is a failure of audience and merit”. “Audience because it has already lost its way, space, no one else in society cares about this CPI. By the way, the CPI is about the MST, but until now, after 60 days, it hasn’t heard from anyone from the MST”, she said. “We have zero fear with this CPI. We are sure that we are going to get nowhere because there is nothing to be investigated in social movements, ”he added. This afternoon’s act was attended by demonstrators from indigenous peoples such as Araju, from the Jaraguá Indigenous Land. “We are here today in defense of the federal deputies who were defending us there in the Chamber of Deputies, when the timeframe vote was going to be held. The timeframe is a bill that totally violates the rights of indigenous peoples and poses a great threat to all territories that were not demarcated before 1988. We are here in favor of these six deputies and also to say no to the timeframe,” he said. .

Agência Brasil