Students Resist Military Police in a Successful Occupation in Brazil

We publish a resume of an article by A Nova Democracia.

Inspired by the high school occupations in 2015 and 2016, students increased their organization and combativeness on November 19 and occupied the State school Antônio Ablas Filho in Santos, São Paulo. The occupation lasted more than 9 hours, where students resisted all kinds of intimidation by the Military Police (MP), and ended with the victory of the students.

The occupation of the school took place in a context of serious attacks on public education, with the New Secondary Education reform and privatization of education. The governor sold 33 schools on the Stock Exchange and is also trying to approve law 09/2023 that seeks to cut more than 11 billion Reais from the State’s education portfolio.

The occupation started by closing the access to the school. Barricades were set up in both main doors, also a third one in another floor. Meanwhile, the first assembly of the occupation – which gathered 100 students – took place. Following points were decided as the political agenda of the occupation: I. Struggle for the immediate repeal of the New Secondary Education. II. Combat militarization and platformization of education. III. Prevent the auction and privatization of schools.

IV. Overturn the processing of law 9/2023, which proposes a cut of more than 10 billion in education.

Also, there were other demands:

• Completion of the installation of air conditioning equipment already available
• Renovation of the playing field

• Hiring at least two inspectors, guaranteeing at least three inspectors on the school’s permanent staff.
• Guarantee the democratic management of the school, by holding assemblies with the participation of students, staff and the school community (Popular Assemblies) for important decisions, respecting the autonomy of Grêmio Livre and the teachers’ freedom of chair.
• Guarantee that there is no persecution or punishment for students who participate in demonstrations or occupations

During the assembly, work committees, as the Political, Propaganda, Logistical (sub-divided in Food, Cleaning and Materials), Security and Cultural were established. Teachers also showed their support with enthusiasm. A support committee with several organizations was founded.

Meanwhile, the direction spread false information, such as the students were locked against their will, pushing parents to get into the school and take their children and call on the actuation of the MP. In the end, it was the actuation of the MP that severely repressed the students by attacking them with pepper spray, even though they are underage.

The participation of an ABRAPO lawyer was crucial to defend professors and students and to strengthen the idea that the occupation was lawful and just, and there was no crime, besides the ones committed by MP. Meanwhile, students held a second assembly where they reinforced the issues mentioned above and took position again on resisting, even by combative ways. This happened while 3 other groups of MP appeared.

Finally, the director of education of Santos, Milena Azenha, accepted to negotiate with the students together with ABRAPO, the councilor Débora Camilo, and other representatives of the Students Executive of Pedagogy of São Paulo as witnesses and mediators.

The success of the occupation was proven, because the direction accepted all the issues that the students demanded, from the installation of the air conditioner until the protection against reprisals. After the negotiations, students decided to abandon the school and cleaned and organized it, taking away the barricades. After that, the students who are more than 18 years old were driven to the Youth Police Station of Santos together with their lawyers and members of Public Defense. They made a statement and were set free.

Students reaffirmed once again in a publish note their commitment to the struggle that made possible that all their demands are implemented.

“We reaffirm our commitment to keep struggling to the full implementation of all our demands, as well as the repeal of the New Secondary Education, against militarization and privatization of education and against the funds cut of education!

Long live the independent and combative movement!

For a new wave of high school occupations!”