Oh no… Femen’s opened a branch in Brazil: Topless activists pictured being …

The women were protesting against exploitation in Big Brother Brazil
The game show had locked contestants in a 'glass house' in a shopping mall
Group now has over 150,000 members worldwide since it began in 2008
They campaign on issues such as women's rights and domestic violence

By
Daniel Miller

PUBLISHED:

13:35 GMT, 9 January 2013

|

UPDATED:

14:27 GMT, 9 January 2013

Topless protest group Femen has opened a branch in Brazil with members pictured today being dragged naked from a shopping Mall in Sao Paulo as they demonstrated against exploitation in the Big Brother gameshow.

The activists, who strip off to highlight a range of issues, including women's rights, press freedom and domestic violence were dragged kicking and screaming from the premises by security guards.

Three women had staged the protest in Sao Paulo's Santana shopping mall where two contestants of Big Brother Brazil were on display in a glass house with viewers being asked to choose the winner.

An activist from women's rights group Femen is arrested by security guards during a protest in a shopping mall, in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Baring it: An activist from women's rights group Femen is arrested by security
guards during a protest in a shopping mall, in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Today's protests follow earlier topless demonstrations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero

Activists: Today's protests follow earlier topless demonstrations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero

The women, which included Femen Brazil founding member Sara Winter, Anna
Steel and Amanda Roseo-Alba, burst in at around 9.30pm and took off
their sweaters to reveal slogans across their bodies such as 'wake up
people!'

All three were detained by security guards but released at around 2.00am the following morning.

Femen was founded in Kyiv in 2008 to
protest against Ukraine's booming sex industry. At their first
demonstration members appeared clothed carrying banners reading 'Ukraine
is not a brothel!'.

But it was the demonstrations in favor of the jailed Russia punk group Pussy Riot in August last year that brought the group to the attention of the worldwide media.

Femen was started in the Ukraine in 2008 as to protest against that country's booming sex industry and has since gone from strength to strength with 150,000 members worldwide

The latest protest follows a demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Sao Paulo last year in support of the jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot

As part of the Pussy Riot protests, the Brazilian Femen branch staged a demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Sao Paulo.

As part of the Pussy Riot protests in August last year, the Brazilian Femen branch staged a demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Sao Paulo

The organisation has since gone from
strength to strength with 150,000 members worldwide and branches across
Europe and even in highly conservative countries such as Egypt.

As part of the Pussy Riot protests,
the Brazilian Femen branch staged a demonstration outside the Russian
embassy in Sao Paulo.

Three women were arrested including two members of Femen and another who joined in the protest spontaneously.

In September last year Military Police in Rio de Janiero arrested two women protesting topless on the Esplanade of Ministries during the country's Independence Day parades.

British policemen block a topless Femen activist as she was protesting against Islamic regimes near the Tower Bridge in Central London on day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic games

Activists: The FEMEN demonstrators organised an 'islamic marathon' to demonstrate against 'islamic regimes' they say are being supported by the IOC.

During the Olympic protest, demonstrators organised an 'islamic marathon' to
demonstrate against 'islamic regimes' they say are being supported by
the IOC.

Outspoken: The topless activists have already staged several high-profile FEMEN protests across Europe this year

The topless activists staged several high-profile FEMEN protests across Europe last year

At the time Femen Brazil founding
member Sara Winter criticised the arrests arguing that while Brazil's
hugely popular carnivals exploit female nudity the country does not
tolerate it during a political protest.

In
another incident Ms Winter attempted to invade the stage during a
performance by pop star Gretchen but was held back by security guards.

At the end of the show she managed to
get onstage where she was pictured holding a sign with the phrase:
'Every three minutes, a woman is beaten in Brazil.'

During
last year's Olympic games four topless Femen activists were arrested
after a protest in central London after accusing the Olympics'
organisers of having supported 'bloody' Islamist regimes.

Some of the women had slogans marked on their bare chests. At least one carried the message: 'No Sharia'.

Protest: Topless activists from a Ukrainian women's rights group staged a second attack on the Euro 2012 trophy by grabbing it while it was on public display

Protest: Topless activists from a Ukrainian
women's rights group staged a second attack on the Euro 2012 trophy by
grabbing it while it was on public display

Daring: As security moved in on one of the group, another activist, standing next to the cup, stripped off to the waist

Three months earlier Femen activists
managed to snatch football's European Championship trophy on two
occasions during the tournament in the Ukraine.

They grabbed the cup in May while it was on display in a central square in Dnipropetrovsk, south-east Ukraine.

One activist took off her top to reveal an offensive slogan before picking up the trophy.

As security guards moved in on her, another activist, standing next to the cup, stripped off to the waist to display the same slogan.

Chilly: An Femen activist braves freezing temperatures during a topless protest against the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos in Jasnuary 2012

In February last year the protest group clashed with Italian police during Milan Fashion Week after a demonstration against the use of anorexic models.

The topless protesters wore jeans and had handwritten slogans such as 'Fashion = Fascism' and 'Anorexia' scrawled across their chests.

A similar protest was held in January in the Swiss resort of Davos in January, where the World Economic Forum held its annual meeting.