On Saturday (6), young activists from Brazil’s Popular Youth Uprising (Levante Popular da Juventude, in Portuguese) held a protest outside a Cola-Cola factory in Curitiba, Paraná’s capital city. The demonstration took place during the movement's state meeting, whose motto was "raise forests, overthrow capitalism", addressing the climate crisis and its consequences for young people.
In an interview with Brasil de Fato Paraná, Fernan Silva, from the group's state coordination in Paraná, explained the reason for holding a protest known as “escracho”. “For the fourth year in a row, Coca-Cola is number one in the ranking of companies that pollute the environment the most, as well as being involved in several accusations of crimes against Indigenous communities, in addition to land grabbing," he said.
During the demonstration, the protestors wrote on the asphalt in front of the company: "Coca-Cola, the enemy of nature". They also staged a performance of a person drowning in a wave of plastic packaging, chanting in chorus: "Coca-Cola, the enemy of people and nature.”
Moema Fiuza, another state leader of the movement, stressed that "it is important to study and understand our reality and, above all, take to the streets to denounce those who destroy and exploit nature and our people in the name of profit.” Fiuza criticized the commercial and bourgeois media for having made a sponsored effort to hold people individually responsible for small acts of waste, such as water overuse and throwing garbage on the streets, while the big polluters go unnoticed.
In addition to the protest, the movement's self-managed meetings included political training, musical competitions known as "batalhas de MC", various cultural activities and enriching debates, with the participation of trade unionists, parliamentarians and leaders of popular movements.
The artistic performance showed how the environment is drowning in plastic waste pollution / Photos: Popular Youth Uprising Communication Collective
