Social networks and resilience in the fight for the right to the city: the Movimento Ocupe Estelita, Recife, Brazil

Abstract

A b s t r a c t : Online social networks have played a key role in the struggle for rights and for more sustainable, less unequal cities. In Brazil, this movement is relatively recent, and has tended to increase in the face of threats or crises that might adversely affect the rights, welfare or life of a city's residents, or the public interest. The Movimento Ocupe Estelita fights against the interests of capital, symbolised by the Projeto Novo Recife, a project destined for the Cais Estelita. The movement started in 2012 and shows signs of resistance and resilience. This article aims to identify the theoretical and empirical basis of this resilience. The research was based on participatory online and offline observation and interviews at the encampment, with a chronology of the occupation process and subsequent campaigns of resistance and struggle. Finally, the movement's capacity to reinvent itself and grow stronger despite continual disputes is analysed. K e y w o r d s

The trajectory of the right to the city in Recife, Brazil: From belonging towards inclusion

“…For example, the PSB became a fierce advocate of the massive New Recife beautification project on the former Estelita docks signed on the last day of the PT government. New Recife is a socially and environmentally highly controversial project that includes the building of luxury residential towers, theatres and parks at the waterfront (Alcântara et al, 2016). The construction of the high-income towers was initiated in 2019.…”

“…The OE movement was perceived as one of the foremost RTC social movements in Brazil (Romeiro et al, 2015). Also, in November of that year, David Harvey attended the occupation of the area in Recife and declared that this was one of the most important urban movements of the moment at the global level (Harvey, 2014; Alcântara et al, 2016).…”

“…Further, the OE movement was a middle-class environmental movement that, whilst receiving support from leftist community leaders in neighbouring ZEIS, was not seen as a true occupation movement. To stop construction work, OE activists set up a camp at the project area and mainly waged their campaign through social media (Alcântara et al, 2016). The activists were more concerned with Recife’s cultural heritage, the corruption scandals, and with making the Recife project more inclusive and environmentally friendly.…”