On this Friday, March 8, International Women’s Day, almost 200 women from the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST, in Portuguese) staged a demonstration in front of the arms company Taurus in São Paulo. The protest aimed at denouncing several critical issues: the rise in femicide crimes involving firearms in Brazil, the ease of access to firearms, and the export of war materials to Israel. This demonstration is part of the movement’s national campaign on International Women’s Day, whose motto this year is “We will fight for our bodies and territories - not one less.”
The group of women highlighted the surge in femicide cases with the use of firearms in Brazil, particularly following decrees issued by former President Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party) that made it easier to carry and possess guns. According to the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook 2023, organised by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP, in Portuguese) and published on Thursday (7), there were 1,463 femicide victims in 2023. This number represents a 1.6% increase compared to 2022 and is the highest number recorded since the law was sanctioned, in March 2015.
Source: State Secretariats of Public Security and/or Social Defense; Public Security Institute/RJ (ISP); 2022 Census - IBGE: Brazilian Forum of Public Security. (1) Law 13.104, of March 2015, qualified the crime of femicide when it is committed against a woman for reasons of the female sex condition. It is considered that there are reasons of female sex condition when the crime involves domestic and family violence and contempt or discrimination to the condition of woman.
Number of femicide victims in absolute numbers between 2015 and 2023 / Reproduction/FBSP
The report also underscores that firearms are the primary instruments used in cases of femicide in Brazil, accounting for 68.6% of such crimes. Furthermore, in 2022, a staggering 783,385 individuals were registered as Collectors, Sports Shooters, and Hunters (known as CAC in Brazil) — a sevenfold increase compared to 2018. Also, ammunition sales reached 420.5 million last year, which is a substantial 147% increase since 2017.
In the first half of 2022, Taurus, a company specializing in firearms, experienced a 47.4% rise in domestic sales revenue compared to the same period in the previous year, resulting in a net profit of BRL295.8 million.
In a powerful statement, the Landless Workers’ Movement declared that their actions were not only about the present but also about the lives of women—specifically, Nega Pataxó and Palestinian women who face violence in the Gaza Strip, along with their children and infants. Additionally, they honored all women from native peoples who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for land. The MST questioned the idea that an armed population equates to security, highlighting the violence inflicted on rural communities. In these regions, the relentless pursuit of profit by agribusiness and illegal mining disregards both human bodies and the natural environment.
Taurus, a company with an 83-year history, markets a range of firearms, including revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, rifles, carbines, and shotguns. Their reach extends to the civil, military, and police markets in Brazil and approximately 100 other countries. On its website, Taurus identifies itself as a Strategic Defense Company and an integral part of the Defense Industrial Base (BID).
It is paramount to remember that Taurus exports weapons to countries like Israel, where the conflict has had devastating consequences. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of at least 30,717 Palestinians and injuries to another 72,156. The tragic events began after Hamas, the armed Palestinian group governing the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on Israel on October 7 of last year.
In the aftermath of this violence, Taurus experienced fluctuations in its financial market performance. Following the attack, the company’s shares closed up by 2.22% on the subsequent Monday, and the increase continued to 5.3% the following day.
The growth in the Israeli market predates the onset of the massacre, which occurred when Israel deliberately facilitated access to weapons for its population. In the first half of 2023, Taurus recorded a staggering 700% increase in its weapons exports to the Israeli market compared to the first semester of 2022. The value surged from BRL560,000 to BRL4.9 million.
Tragically, among the 30,000 Palestinians who lost their lives, 25,000 were children and women, as confirmed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Astonishingly, Austin himself defends the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Drawing inspiration from antiquity, Taurus chose its name from Latin meaning "strength and vigor". This concept resonates with their mission.
Brasil de Fato reached out to Taurus, seeking their stance on the protest, to no avail. This text will be updated once the company responds.
Edited by: Thalita Pires
