Recent events recounted the historical bombings over neighborhoods such as Luz, Mooca, Brás, and Vila Mariana, leading to the destruction of at least 1,500 buildings. Over a century ago, São Paulo was the center of one of the bloodiest urban conflicts in Brazilian history, known as the Revolt of 1924.
While the Revolution of 1932 is frequently discussed, the violent struggles that engulfed the city eight years earlier are often overlooked.
Discontented young army officers, known as tenentistas, initiated an insurrection on July 5, 1924, in São Paulo, aiming to overthrow President Arthur Bernardes.
The rebels captured key locations, including Estação da Luz, but were soon outnumbered by government forces. By July 27, the tenentistas retreated from the city, marking a decisive victory for Bernardes’s troops. Although precise casualty figures are elusive, estimates suggest at least 500 fatalities.
As the fighting intensified, the then-governor, Carlos de Campos, fled the palace in the city center for safety in the distant Penha neighborhood. In contrast, Mayor Firmiano de Morais Pinto chose to remain engaged in the conflict. He famously declared, “I will be the last resident to leave São Paulo, no matter what happens,” as noted by local historians.
The city faced unprecedented calamity, and it could have been worse without the mayor’s intervention. Despite his ties to traditional political networks linked to Bernardes and other established leaders, he maintained communication with the tenentistas.
Additionally, working alongside community leaders like José Carlos de Macedo Soares, president of the São Paulo Commercial Association, the mayor coordinated supply operations that ensured the delivery of food and essential goods to the populace.
In the Buenos Aires Park in Higienópolis, a plaque commemorates Mayor Firmiano Pinto’s contributions with the inscription: “To Mayor Firmiano Pinto, grateful São Paulo.”
While the current mayor of São Paulo may not face the threat of bombardment from government troops, following the example of commitment shown by Morais Pinto could serve as a guiding principle in today’s leadership.
