Vanessa de Oliveira, a former international call girl and Brazilian author of five books, on Thursday stripped in front of the Governmental Palace in Lima, Peru. Her reason was simple: she's tired of eBook pirates and wants her voice to be heard.
Oliveira arrived at the Plaza de Armas in the back of a truck. She then jumped out, stood in front of the Government Palace, and peeled back a long dark coat revealing the words "NO A LA PIRATERIA" (NO TO PIRACY) strayed across her chest and back in red ink.
Here's what Oliveira said, according to El Comercio (I'm paraphrasing based off what Google Translate spits out in Chrome):
I'm doing this so my book is not pirated anymore anywhere in the world. A country is built with culture, with books. Pirating books endangers culture. This is the first country where I've see this phenomenon. In Brazil, there are no pirated books. What I'm seeing here is a disgrace.
Oliveira had more to say on her website (again, rough translation):
Some people will find it crazy, others will condemn, some say that a lone protest accomplishes nothing (really?), There will be those who applaud the act and there are those who will sprinkle me ... No matter, after all, what I did today on behalf of others' opinions? Nothing. And so I intend to continue.
And believe me, the last thing I do is remain silent in the face of an injustice and if no one else will I go alone, because if I see a hope of changing a situation there is no fear that intimidates me, I am away or exhaustion overwhelmed me drop.
The author goes on to explain how all her books had already been pirated when she arrived in Peru. Oliveira said the launch of her most recent book was the last straw. 14 hours after the debut at the International Book Fair, it was already being sold illegally on the street. She complained that going to the police was a waste of time as was asking pirates nicely to stop. That's when the redhead decided to take a more radical approach that would actually have an effect.