Popular organisations and entities establish the Committee for the Freedom of Student Mateus Galdino in Recife
Popular organisations and entities establish the Committee for the Freedom of Student Mateus Galdino in Recife
Students, peasants, housing activists and other democrats hold a plenary session for the release of student Mateus Galdino. On 26 February, organisations, entities and popular activists held a plenary session at the Union of Employees of Federal Institutes of Pernambuco (SINDISIFPE) to discuss the campaign for the release of student Mateus Galdino, an anti-imperialist political prisoner. To organise this struggle and further raise the profile of the campaign, the activists founded the Committee for the Freedom of Student Mateus Galdino.
Several popular organisations were present, such as Mangue Vermelho, the Popular Revolutionary Student Movement (MEPR), the Ventania Movement, the National Executive of Pedagogy Students (ExNEPe), the International Antiimperialist League (LAI), the Urban Movement of Homeless Workers (MUST), the Committee in Support of the Struggle of the Squatters of Barro Branco/Jaqueira, SINDISIFPE, the Popular Women’s Movement (MFP), and the Brazilian Association of People’s Lawyers – Gabriel Pimenta (ABRAPO).
Opening of the event
A representative of the International Antiimperialist League (LAI) opened the event by talking about popular struggles around the world. “To ensure greater control over our subcontinent, Latin America, and also to be able to plunder natural resources, such as Venezuela’s oil, they invaded Venezuela, bombed it, and kidnapped its president and his partner in a completely arbitrary and illegal manner. […] And now there is almost a civil war, because the American people themselves do not accept the dictates of the thug, scoundrel and sex offender Donald Trump.” The representative also gave more details about the events of the 28th: “Students, peasants, teachers and activists, at the call of the LAI, held a forceful demonstration here in Recife on 28 January, where, in the middle of the demonstration, some very angry activists threw incendiary devices at McDonald’s. And, in response, to defend the interests of Yankee imperialism (the US) and its monopolies, the Military Police launched a completely unwarranted, disproportionate and unjust attack. They fired firearms at the activists who were at the demonstration, targeting five comrades in an attempt to detain dozens of demonstrators, who defended themselves with what they had in their hands: their flags. The antiimperialist ends his speech by denouncing the arrest of Mateus Galdino and the secondary school student who was detained with him. Mateus Galdino and the secondary school student were detained after the end of the demonstration, more than 1 km from the site of the confrontation between demonstrators and the police. The military police entered the market where the activists had gone to arrest those suspected of opposing Yankee intervention in Venezuela. During the arrest, the activists were assaulted by the officers, who threw them to the ground and handcuffed them, an exceptional measure that must generally be justified in writing, especially when used against minors.
At the same demonstration, a local correspondent for the newspaper A Nova Democracia was shot by police while covering the protest. Upon arriving at the hospital, the journalist was approached by more than ten police officers, who wanted to prevent him from receiving medical attention and take him to the police station, accusing the correspondent of being involved in the confrontation. In view of this, the journalist decided not to remove the bullet lodged in his ankle and that he would only have it removed at the Forensic Medical Institute (IML), to serve as evidence against the police officers and to prevent the officers from trying to make the ammunition disappear after it was removed. The journalist has since been prosecuted, accused of bodily harm by the police, because he was covering a demonstration. An activist from the Mangue Vermelho Collective stated, “From the arrest of our comrade Mateus Galdino to the bombing of our continent, these are not signs of strength, but signs of weakness. Nothing scares them more than the uprising of the masses in the countryside and in the city and the increase in popular protest. And it is becoming increasingly clear, through the facts presented here, that comrade Mateus Galdino is a political prisoner of the anti-imperialist struggle!”
A representative of ABRAPO provided further details on the legal issues surrounding the imprisoned student. The lawyer stated that both the defence and the Pernambuco Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPPE) affirm that the charge of attempted murder has no basis in fact. According to the forensic examination carried out at the IML on the police officers who were beaten, there was no attempted murder. In addition, Mateus Galdino meets all the legal requirements to await trial on provisional release, but, by decision of the judge in the case, the student remains in prison.
A peasant from the José Ricardo Revolutionary Area, organised by the League of Poor Peasants (LCP), was present at the event and reported that, during a meeting of the Revolutionary Area, the peasants unanimously approved raising a banner in the peasant area demanding the release of student Mateus. The peasant also reported on other political arrests within the combative peasant movement, such as peasant leader José Ricardo, who was only released due to the campaign for his release carried out by the popular masses in the countryside and the city.
A representative of the Urban Movement of Homeless Workers (MUST) joined the campaign for the release of student Mateus and denounced the political persecution against the housing struggle movement. The activist stressed that “we will not bow our heads. […] And don’t be afraid of being arrested! Come on, because here outside, there is a wall to defend you!”
End of the event
After all the speeches, the creation of the Committee for the Freedom of Student Mateus Galdino was proposed and approved. In addition, the writing of a manifesto to be signed so that other organisations and people from civil society can join the campaign was approved. The expansion of the advertising campaign was also discussed, and more collages will be made around the city, within the MUST occupations, in addition to banners being put up at various points around the city.
At the end of the plenary session, everyone got together to record a video to announce, during a later visit to Cotel de Abreu e Lima, to student Mateus and the popular masses of the country the formation of the Committee.
Source information: https://anovademocracia.com.br/organizacoes-e-entidades-populares-fundam-o-comite-pela-liberdade-do-estudante-mateus-galdino-em-recife/
