Naked Protest: Memories of Bodies and Resistance at the World Social Forum
2007; Bridgewater State University; Volume: 8; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1539-8706
Autores Tópico(s)Feminism, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
ResumoAbstract This article draws on memories from the 2003 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil in order to examine the role of bodies in relation to politics. Focusing on a specific moment within the flurry of (embodied) activities at the World Social Forum, this piece explores the tensions, contradictions, and opportunities arising from the use of nakedness as a political tool. The body is examined as a subject of political resistance and as an object of repression, highlighting how the meanings of nakedness are marked by gender and connected systems of social inequality. The analysis shows that while turning human bodies into commodities, particularly sexual commodities, is acceptable under Western hegemony, bodies of resistance can lead to social outrage and violent punishment. Keywords: Bodies, Nakedness, Political Protest Introduction The World Social Forum is a definite bodily experience: a site that overwhelms the senses with the colors of artwork and diverse clothing, the sounds of many languages and music, the aroma and taste of international food, its intense pace and dynamism, and the exhilarating feeling of joining thousands of active bodies organizing, marching, chanting, protesting, discussing, learning. Yet in my memory, the female body that stands out against the backdrop of multicolor flags, puppets, and scores of activists in movement is not mine, but the one of a young, light-skinned, woman, a body performing resistance. This performance took place during my last night at the 2003 edition of the World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, while celebrating the hope that another world is possible. The intensity of the day was taking a toll on me as I processed the words of other activists, the lessons from political workshops and cultural exhibits, and the excitement, rage, and creativity I experienced at the closing march against war and neoliberalism. I savored the memories and ideas I would take back to Argentina, my native country, and share with others. In the evening, I was drawn to the festive atmosphere in the area surrounding the amphitheater where live music was playing and a large crowd gathered. Suddenly, I was surprised by the sight of people running, chased by police officers on horses. The police forces kept arriving: by motorcycles, in cars, on horses, and in big vehicles, perhaps destined to contain arrested activists. Then I saw a group of men running and chanting, naked to the camp, to the camp! A police car passed by at full speed, and a man in the back seat of the car (apparently detained by the police) waved his bare arms, saluting the crowd. Later I was told that the reason people were getting was in solidarity with a woman who was staying at the International Youth Camp. According to circulating accounts, the police hassled this woman because of her bathing outdoors without clothes. (2) Hundreds of people then got to protest the police action. As far as I could observe from the place where I stood, and as recorded on a short video of this event (CMI Brasil, 2003), the protesters seemed to be mostly men. In the video, one can see activists chanting against repression, jumping up and down under the outdoor showers, burning some clothing in a fire, and marching to other areas of the Forum. In the midst of the chaos that followed activists' show of support and police intervention, I saw a different kind of performance by a young, full figured woman who spoke loudly to the crowd--the woman who stayed in my memory. Her body was completely naked, except for a mask on her face. Her nakedness was not about flaunting sexuality or selling anything. She exposed her body in a way different from supermodels, beauty queens, and showgirls--the kind of unclothed or barely clothed body that is more common to see in public spaces (e.g. mass media) in Argentina and other Western/ized societies. …
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