Protesters in Brazil burned US philosopher Judith Butler in effigy on Tuesday, all while yelling "burn the witch!"
The scene took place outside of the Pompeia branch of SESC, a Brazilian nonprofit institution that funds the arts, in São Paolo. Things were pretty much nuts from the jump.
Agora no Sesc Pompeia: manifestantes põem fogo em boneca de Judith Butler aos gritos de "queimem a bruxa"
The hullabaloo was organized by a few small conservative groups, like the TFP (Tradition, Family and Property) — a far-right group founded in 1960 — and a group led by former D-list actor Alexandre Frota, which has a strong online presence. On the other side, supporting Butler in greater numbers, were leftist groups, some of them carrying antifa flags.
For those less familiar with Butler, a professor of gender studies at UC-Berkeley, please let America's reigning drag superstar Sasha Velour give you a quick rundown:
View this video on YouTube
Since SESC announced that she'd be taking part in a seminar titled "The Ends of Democracy," conservative groups have been posting on Facebook and other social media calling for the event to be cancelled.
Tensions have been building in Brazil for months, as debates rage over art, museums, and events that conservative groups consider inappropriate.
Earlier this year, São Paulo’s Museum of Art (MASP) — the most prestigious in Brazil — banned underage visitors from seeing an exhibition about sexuality in art, even if they showed up with their parents. It was the first time in MASP’s history that such a ban had been put into place. (Under threat from São Paulo’s state prosecutors, the museum reverted the decision earlier this week.)
Which brings us to Tuesday, when the military police had to put up a barricade to keep the pro- and anti-Judith Butler protesters away from each other.
Agora no Sesc Pompeia: a PM separou os dois grupos e se mantém entre eles
Around 11 a.m., SESC closed its gates. Protesters there to support Butler took the opportunity to taunt their opponents: "Hey, you fucks, the talk is happening!"
Agora no Sesc Pompeia: do outro lado, manifestantes — em maior número — pedem tolerância
In response, the anti-Butler crowd pulled up a car and blasted the Brazilian national anthem.
As the Butler dummy smoldered, members of the Institute Plínio Corrêa de Oliveira — another group connected to the TFP — stood at the a nearby stop light with bagpipes and signs reading: "Honk in support of marriage as God made it - 1 man + 1 woman."
Perto do Sesc, manifestantes ligados à TFP tocam "Asa Branca" na gaita de fole e pedem: "Buzine em favor do casamen… https://t.co/u0U4RVutsB
Dr. Butler did not immediately respond to a BuzzFeed News request for comment on Tuesday's events.
This post was translated from Portuguese.