This article examines punk in Greater São Paulo (1977–1985), highlighting how censorship, repression, and moral control shaped practices and identities. Drawing on fanzines, censorship records, and manifestos, it frames the DIY ethos as a political and ethical stance under authoritarian rule. Through cultural autonomy, music, visual provocation, and collective action, punks redefined resistance. Internal conflicts, including the “punk war,” reflected broader struggles over authenticity and legitimacy. Despite repression and fragmentation, the scene contributed to the late dictatorship's redemocratization, turning everyday rebellion into historical practice.
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