Another major demonstration was scheduled in Rio de Janeiro for June 20, 2013, the sixth of the month. That day, businesses in Downtown closed their doors earlier than usual. Shopkeepers feared a repeat of the violent scenes from previous protests. By that point, the June Journeys could already be considered victorious. The day before, the public transportation fare hike had been revoked in several state capitals across the country, including Rio.
Anonymous in the plural: protesters wear the mask popularized by the protagonist of the comic book and film V for Vendetta. Photo by Eduardo Arraes. Rio de Janeiro, June 17, 2013. Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of five people wearing Guy Fawkes masks, a symbol associated with the Anonymous hacker movement. The masks are clearly visible and completely cover the people's faces. The spatial arrangement is linear, with the people positioned side by side, facing the camera. The image appears to have been taken in an urban setting at night, with buildings and windows in the background. There is no visible text in the image other than the author's name, "Eduardo Arraes," which appears in the lower left corner.The June marches, however, went beyond their initial agenda – the reduction of bus fares – to represent a real possibility of pressuring the government and changing the country's political structure. Among the novelties brought by the Jornadas were mobilization through social media, cell phone cameras used to expose police violence and the presence of infiltrators in the march, and the presence of the radical group Blackbloc, with its tactics of vandalizing banks and other symbols of capitalism.
On the 20th, the June protest marches reached their peak, when a crowd estimated at 1.2 million people marched down Presidente Vargas Avenue, in downtown Rio. It was the largest demonstration in the history of the Carioca capital and of the country. The protest followed the same course as the previous acts and remained peaceful up to a certain point.
From Candelária to beyond Central do Brasil: hundreds of thousands of people took over Avenida Presidente Vargas. Photo by Pablo Jacob. Rio de Janeiro, June 20, 2013. Agência O Globo
Image description: This is a photograph of a nighttime protest. The image shows a dense crowd of people gathered in a large urban area. On the left side, we see tall, illuminated buildings, while on the right, the crowd stretches to the horizon. In the center, there is an illuminated structure that appears to be a monument or statue. The lighting is intense, especially in the more densely populated areas, creating a contrast with the more distant areas.Near the city hall headquarters, there was widespread chaos and destruction. Police and press blamed the vandalism on protesters; witnesses swore that the Military Police attacked indiscriminately. It was an unbalanced confrontation: on one side, armored vehicles, cavalry, tear gas and rubber bullets; on the other, sticks, stones and marbles. Hoardings that protected store windows served as shields and barricades for the protesters.
The vicinity of Cidade Nova and the Lapa area became sites of open confrontation. The gas from the bombs launched by the police did not distinguish who was or wasn't part of the protest, and the nauseating sensation was felt even by patients at Hospital Souza Aguiar, near Campo de Santana – where people were trying to hide from police repression.
Protest against bus fare increase in the city center ends in violence at Alerj and store looting. Photo by Marcelo Carnaval, 06/17/2013 - Agência O Globo
Image description: This is a photograph of a nighttime protest. On the left, two people hold flags with Brazil's design. In the center, a figure stands in front of a large fire, holding a long object. In the background, there are buildings lit by the light of the flames. On the right, a historic building is partially visible.The violence of the clashes and the sheer volume of the protests were the main hallmarks of the marches in 2013. But, above all, the June Journeys represented a political baptism for a generation that, until then, had not experienced the mobilizing power of a public demonstration of that magnitude.
