Rousseff publicly embraced the protests as democratic energy rather than as a threat.

Evidence

On Tuesday June 18, President Dilma went on television. And she praised the spirit of the protests. “Today, Brazil awakened stronger. The grand protests yesterday have proved the energy of our democracy, the strength of the voice of the streets, and the civic spirit of our population,” she began. She praised the peaceful protesters—and their patriotic gestures—while distinguishing them from a destructive minority. But overall, she said, it was worth it. “I saw a poster yesterday that I found really interesting, that said, ‘Please forgive the inconvenience, we are changing the country.’ I want to say that my government is listening to these voices.” — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 423

Categorization

• XREF: Contrasts with how most heads of state in this book respond to mass protest; Dilma’s accommodationist stance becomes a rare case study.