CLASS warriors striving to upend Brazil’s stratified society? Disaffected youth upset at the lack of opportunities? Black favela-dwellers tired of the country’s veiled racism? Theories abound over the motives of the participants of rolezihnos, gatherings organised via social networks in which tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of youngsters from São Paulo’s poor periphery meet up in the city’s shopping malls. What do they really want?
“To hang out, chill, meet people—especially girls,” is the answer of Rodrigo Alexandre, a distinctly light-skinned 17-year-old from Vila Cachoeira, a northern suburb of the city. Together with a few friends Rodrigo had called a rolezihno (dubbed “flash mobs” by Western media) for this weekend at Shopping Center Norte, a 20-minute metro ride from city centre. Roughly 1,300 people confirmed on Facebook that they would attend at 4pm on Saturday January 18th.
Before the revelries could begin, however, two black police SUVs pulled up alongside Rodrigo and nine others as they strolled through Center Norte’s vast car park. The boys were apparently identified on the...Continue reading
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