In the last two weeks, students have occupied 1,177 high schools, 82 technical high schools, and 96 university campuses in Brazil. The majority of the occupations has been in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, which is known for its conservative politics. Students are fighting against three attacks by the illegitimate government of President Michel Temer, who overthrew the democratically elected president Dilma Rousseff in an institutional coup in August: 1) drastic reforms to the high-school curriculum through a presidential decree with no debate or discussion; 2) a constitutional amendment, PEC 241, which will freeze spending on social programs for twenty years; 3) and efforts by right-wing legislators to force through laws known as Schools Without Parties, which aim to severely limit political discussion in the classroom.

Tensions have mounted in the last week in Paraná as organized right-wing groups from other cities and states, including the Free Brazil Movement (MBL), key in the mobilizations for the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, have attempted to forcibly end the occupations. Invited by the occupiers, militants from the universities and left parties have organized occupation defenses in dozens of high schools.