Abstract
Online social networks have played a key role in the struggle for rights and for more sustainable, less unequal cities. In Brazil, this movement is relatively recent, and has tended to increase in the face of threats or crises that might adversely affect the rights, welfare or life of a city’s residents, or the public interest. The Movimento Ocupe Estelita fights against the interests of capital, symbolised by the Projeto Novo Recife, a project destined for the Cais Estelita. The movement started in 2012 and shows signs of resistance and resilience. This article aims to identify the theoretical and empirical basis of this resilience. The research was based on participatory online and offline observation and interviews at the encampment, with a chronology of the occupation process and subsequent campaigns of resistance and struggle. Finally, the movement’s capacity to reinvent itself and grow stronger despite continual disputes is analysed.
Highlights
In various cities around the world, online social networks have played an important role in the struggle for social and political rights and for less unequal and more sustainable cities
In Brazil, this movement has grown in response to threats against people’s rights, welfare and life, as well as the public interest in cities
The June 2013 protests, starting with a cry of indignation against increased bus fares, spread through social networks in various Brazilian cities and emerged as a project of hope for a better life, with demonstrations on the streets of over 350 cities. This movement arose from the mobility crisis in Brazilian cities, motivated by a model of urban growth characterised by property speculation and municipal corruption (CASTELLS, 2013)
Summary
In various cities around the world, online social networks have played an important role in the struggle for social and political rights and for less unequal and more sustainable cities. The June 2013 protests, starting with a cry of indignation against increased bus fares, spread through social networks in various Brazilian cities and emerged as a project of hope for a better life, with demonstrations on the streets of over 350 cities This movement arose from the mobility crisis in Brazilian cities, motivated by a model of urban growth characterised by property speculation and municipal corruption (CASTELLS, 2013). In Recife, the context of increasing verticalisation and projects having a negative impact on mobility and quality of life created favourable conditions for mobilisation on social networks in the search for more sustainable cities with better quality of life The reaction to this unsatisfactory city fostered the emergence of social movements such as the DU and the MOE3, which includes the DU and other groups and associations; they are emblematic examples of the struggle against cities mainly organised for the benefit of capital. The resulting understanding is intended to shed light on the whole process and tease out the implications for future struggles
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