Government co-option of popular protests

Sound of a crowd screaming incomprehensible words. Dozens of people on the street, carrying flags and banners. In forefront, small groups are holding banners where is possible to read in order:

1)   I cannot drive a car, but I can choose who drives my country

2)   You’ll see that your son don’t flee from ballot box*

3)   We’ll do the best election of Brazil

4)   With 16 years old you can already vote**

5)   Your vote worth an whole Brazil

6)   #come to ballot box ***

7)   Electoral Justice: tse.jus.br

* Brazilian Anthem says: You’ll see that your son don’t flee from fight

** In Brazil, the vote is mandatory above 18, but voluntary above 16

*** During the 2013 protests, the trend topic in social media was “# come to street"

The advertising campaign, promoted by the Supreme Electoral Court of Brazil (TSE), seems to remind citizens that time for changing has finally come. With clear references to the 2013 protests, TSE’s campaign highlights the elections as the peak of democracy and encourages the young to vote. At first, this approach seems reasonable, since the campaign co-relates street’s voice with election’s voice. It takes a while to understand what this co-option of popular protests by a Governmental institution may represents.

TSE borrows the language of the demonstrators and, by doing this, co-relates the 2014 elections with the Confederations Cup protests. On the one hand, the campaign presents elections as a time to the citizen pursuit answers to the general dissatisfaction showed during the last year and emphasizes the importance of choosing the representatives for the future of the country. On the other hand, the campaign invites people to replace the streets action (protest) for the ballot box action (vote). This second feature is the reason why the co-option of popular protest by TSE is problematic.

Replace the “street” for the “ballot box” does not make sense, since democracy involves the capability of citizens to choose their representatives and to pressure politicians as well. During the elections, the focus on the role of citizen as a voter is understandable, nevertheless the cross reference used in this campaign contributes, in certain way, to undermine the importance of social mobilization in the democratic process. Paul Hilder (2007) alerts that by borrowing the clothes and tactics of social movements Governments may cause a confusion “in the public mind about what civil society campaigning actually is and how it can change collective decisions”.

Therefore, the slogan “# come to ballot box”, that has been used in all TSE’s communicative actions during this elections, contains an ideological bias and, in a certain way, neutralizes 2013 protest. Although trying to empower the citizen through the vote, the campaign trivializes the last year protests and undermines the role of civil society in democracy.

Come to street

You'll see that your son don't flee from fight

Hilder, P. et al (2007) Contentious citizens - civil society’s role in campaigning for social change. The Young Foundation, pp. 58-61