{"id":17240,"date":"2014-08-12T20:31:17","date_gmt":"2014-08-12T23:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=17240"},"modified":"2015-12-23T20:56:59","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T23:56:59","slug":"complexo-do-alemao-residents-march-for-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=17240","title":{"rendered":"Complexo do Alem\u00e3o Residents March For Peace [SLIDESHOW]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Around 50 Complexo do Alem\u00e3o residents took to the streets on Saturday August 9 to promote peace in the community. Since the end of the World Cup,\u00a0the favela complex has experienced shootouts on a daily basis between Military Police\u00a0officers\u00a0and drug traffickers.<\/p>\n

The march was organized by Alem\u00e3o residents<\/a> to protest against continued police brutality and to raise awareness of the plight of local people who are caught in the crossfire between\u00a0the Comando Vermelho\u00a0gang\u00a0and the occupying Pacifying Police Unit (UPP<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Three innocent people have been killed in the community\u00a0since the end of the World Cup\u00a0and dozens more\u00a0have been injured by stray bullets or as a direct result of police violence.<\/p>\n

On Sunday July 29, 60-year old Ant\u00f4nio Fran\u00e7a<\/a> was shot and killed in Nova Bras\u00edlia. And on Sunday August 3, 20-year old Rhuan Vianna<\/a> was shot in the legs on a so-called ‘routine patrol’ police operation.<\/p>\n

Victims of police violence, like 14-year old Zaqueu Nogueira, participated in the\u00a0demonstration. Zaqueu was shot in Nova Bras\u00edlia on Saturday July 27 by the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) officers who accused him of being a drug trafficker. His only crime was being an Alem\u00e3o resident.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"2014-740830706-2014080987418.jpg_20140809\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The teenager is now blind in one eye after\u00a0being shot in the face by BOPE officers. He was also shot in the thigh\u00a0and shoulder. Zaqueu protested against the criminalization of young people<\/a> in the community despite the presence of heavily armed police stationed along the route.<\/p>\n

“I am here today to demand justice and peace in the community. Lots\u00a0of young people are being killed here. Innocent people are getting shot. I’m proud of my community<\/a> and I just want things to get better for people here.”<\/p>\n

Several\u00a0demonstrators had lost family members to police violence. Denize de Mor\u00e3es, mother of the moto-taxi driver Caio de Mor\u00e3es<\/a> who was killed during a protest in May, wanted to ensure that no other Alem\u00e3o families\u00a0would have to bury their loved ones.<\/p>\n

“How far will this violence go? My son was killed by the police. He was an innocent man with nothing to do with trafficking. He was only 20 years old and worked as a moto-taxi driver.\u00a0I don’t want to see anyone else’s children killed. I am here for justice and for respect. Today, we are here to stand up for our rights.\u00a0We are a community, and we are much\u00a0stronger\u00a0than any UPP force or\u00a0drug traffickers. We are living through some very difficult times but good will defeat evil–I am certain that we will\u00a0overcome all this and see better days.”<\/p>\n

The participants displayed banners criticizing the police occupation and sprayed graffiti on streets and properties calling for peace in the community.<\/p>\n

\"10599486_740301116041205_4752177368218046438_n\"The march\u00a0paused\u00a0in a public square to read out the names of 15 victims of this year’s wave of\u00a0violence and to pray for peace. The list included local residents and police officers. Marchers\u00a0also stopped at\u00a0strategic points to show the press where\u00a0stray bullets had torn through walls and injured residents.<\/p>\n

Along the route they chanted\u00a0funk<\/em> songs including “Rap da Felicidade<\/a>”\u00a0and “Era S\u00f3 Mais um Silva<\/a>” (Just Another\u00a0Silva<\/a>, a song about\u00a0police brutality).\u00a0They prayed with the congregation of an evangelical church for an end to the violence.<\/p>\n

The participants were greeted with support from other Alem\u00e3o residents along the route who joined in with protest songs and prayers for victims of violence. This video<\/a> shows one concerned resident expressing her opinion on the UPP’s occupation of the community.<\/p>\n

The organizers of the event are using the #SOSComplexoDoAlem\u00e3o<\/a>\u00a0hashtag to promote movements for justice in the community.<\/p>\n

According to the hashtag tracking website Keyhole, the hashtag<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>has a reach of\u00a0half a million people around the world. Tweets originated mainly from Brazil, but people from the United States, Portugal, Sweden and Australia also joined in to ask for peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

View the full photo album below or with captions clicking here<\/a>:<\/h3>\n