Sabina'soranges

The Sabina's Oranges - Pepa Delgado, 1904

Slavery had been abolished in Brazil little more than a year earlier. Sabina, a poor Black woman, worked the streets of Rio de Janeiro as a street vendor. Her spot was in Largo da Misericórdia, in front of the School of Medicine. Displayed on trays propped up on barrels, the fruits offered daily relief from the heat to coat-wearing students who fancied themselves radical republicans.

In July 1889, the delicacies served another purpose: bananas, tomatoes, and oranges splattered the official carriage of the Minister of Finance, the Viscount of Ouro Preto, as it crossed the school's street. The next morning, the regional subdelegate Jacome Lazary ordered the grocery shop to be shut down.

Poem satirizing the incident. O Paiz, July 23, 1889, n. 1750. Newspaper Archive of the National Library.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white newspaper. At the top, "APARAS" is written in large letters. Below, there is a number "390". The main text is left-aligned and describes situations related to fruits and authorities. There are references to "laranjas," "mangas," "bananas," "limões," and "barrete plurgyio." The text mentions "tendências republicanas" and "assembléias sediciosas." At the end, it is signed "TESOURA."

The act sparked outrage and fired up the students' imagination. On July 25th, with oranges skewered on canes, they marched in procession through the streets of Downtown. At the front, a banner displayed a crown made of bananas and the phrase "To the Exterminator of Oranges." The march set off from Largo da Misericórdia and went along Rua Primeiro de Março to Rua do Ouvidor.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving. The image shows a large demonstration with many people wearing suits and hats. On the left, there is a group of men mounted on horses. In the center, the participants raise their arms, holding lances. On the right, two musicians play instruments. In the background, there is a building that appears to be a school of medicine. At the bottom of the image, it reads: "The orange tree demonstration. The great exchange, the great and only exchange of the week, was well experienced, the one held for us by the youth of the School of Medicine, with the demonstration at the orange tree of Mr. Neto displaying of S. José, Brazilian in every influence."

After cheering outside the offices of republican newspapers, the demonstrators crossed Uruguaiana street, met the Polytechnic students at Largo de São Francisco, and made their way back. There was no clash or vandalism. And when someone took advantage of the commotion to shout insults against His Majesty, the students were sharp enough to reply that this was not a political demonstration, but rather... an agricultural one.

Popular support and the repercussions in the press embarrassed the deputy police chief Lazary, who resigned. Sabina was able to reclaim her spot. And the image of the Empire, which had already been wearing thin, took another hit.

Note from the O Paiznewspaper about the protests. O Paiz, July 26, 1889, no. 1753. Newspaper Archive of the National Library.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white newspaper. It is divided into two vertical columns. In the first column, there is a headline reading "AS LARANJAS" in bold. Below it, there is a narrative text about a student demonstration. In the second column, there is more text detailing the events that occurred during the demonstration.