{"id":25201,"date":"2015-11-07T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2015-11-07T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=25201"},"modified":"2020-08-07T14:04:18","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T17:04:18","slug":"is-there-room-for-ping-pong-and-the-olympics-sos-vila-autodromo-public-spaces-under-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=25201","title":{"rendered":"Is There Room for Ping Pong and the Olympics? SOS Vila Aut\u00f3dromo: Public Spaces Under Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1khmTxR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-23766\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/PT-e1439583827971.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Psychological pressures intensify in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo after the community&#8217;s\u00a0ping pong table was demolished and children\u2019s playground is under threat.<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/18Zum8K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychological stress<\/a>\u00a0on residents in <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1PbOueL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a>,\u00a0next to the 2016 Olympic Park, continues to increase as bulldozers are now a regular presence in the neighborhood.\u00a0At the beginning of the week, <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/VilaAut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a>\u00a0saw the widely used community-made ping pong table smashed in seconds.\u00a0The event\u00a0is seen as\u00a0a symbolic act of pressure and intimidation towards remaining residents resisting eviction,\u00a0just over a week after <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1ON7QZ6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">five homes were demolished without warning on October 23<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"PREFEITO EDUARDO PAES COVARDE! DESTROE \u00c1REA DE LAZER DE CRIAN\u00c7AS.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AwAodZCWvKI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As with last week&#8217;s evictions,\u00a0no prior warning was given to residents about the municipality&#8217;s intended\u00a0actions. Resident Luiz Carlos said the demolition\u00a0\u201cstarted at 7:30am in the morning without any warning and because no one was there [near the table] they removed everything.&#8221;\u00a0 This included a fence residents\u00a0had put up to protect the table and next door community playground on Saturday, October 24.<\/p>\n<p>Luiz continued: \u201c[The <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1pXMFVa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Olympics<\/a>] is a mega sporting event and it doesn\u2019t make sense they are destroying a ping pong table that was made for the children in our community. It\u2019s an incredible contrast.\u201d The table was a valuable part of the community. Luiz said: \u201cWe\u2019d have barbecues and the ping pong table was to the side for all to play\u2026 we even had a tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25250\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25250\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ping-pong.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25250 size-content\" title=\"Community children anxiously watched as the Vila Aut\u00f3dromo ping pong table was built by residents\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ping-pong-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"Community children anxiously watched as the Vila Aut\u00f3dromo ping pong table was built by residents\" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ping-pong-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ping-pong-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community children anxiously watched as the Vila Aut\u00f3dromo ping pong table was\u00a0built by residents<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The construction of another ping pong\u00a0table was confirmed by the site manager the day after the original was demolished. \u00a0At this stage no immediate actions have been carried out by the construction workers. Luiz finds this difficult to comprehend, &#8220;when they can put up these grand buildings in days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a result, there\u00a0are now growing\u00a0fears in community about the removal of their one and only playground, that sits next door. \u201cThe playground\u00a0is there for now, no one knows until when, but it\u2019s in line [for demolition]\u2013it could be next,\u201d said Luiz Carlos. The owner of the kiosk that faces the children\u2019s playground, who provides snacks to Olympic Park workers, believes the playground is sure to go soon.<\/p>\n<p>As stated on the <a href=\"http:\/\/on.fb.me\/1W9NoAE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vila Aut\u00f3dromo Facebook page<\/a>, for a community who already has so little, this is an act of \u201ccowardice, truculence and bad character.\u201d Upset and feeling vulnerable, they explained \u201cwhat the community builds\u00a0the government\u00a0destroys.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25206\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25206\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_2436.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25206 size-content\" title=\"Demolitions in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo \" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_2436-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"Demolitions in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo \" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_2436-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_2436-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25206\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demolitions in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite the residents\u2019 legal\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1OrpNu9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">titles to the land<\/a> granted by the state government in the 1990s and Mayor Eduardo Paes\u2019 <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1JWMh4H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">public commitment<\/a> to the permanence of the community <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1nGhGgf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in August 2013<\/a>, and confirmed with the <em>BBC<\/em> as recently <a href=\"http:\/\/bbc.in\/1MocJ73\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">as August<\/a> and <em>O Globo<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/205YVFP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">just two weeks ago<\/a>, Vila Aut\u00f3dromo has been targeted aggressively for near\u00a0total removal. <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1pO06YP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evictions<\/a> have removed\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/205YVFP\">83%<\/a>\u00a0of the neighborhood in the last two years. Paes has repeatedly claimed that\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/TWRm74\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">part of the community can remain<\/a>,\u00a0but a recent\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1ICuNZG\">official Rio 2016<\/a>\u00a0video projects the Olympic Park with Vila Aut\u00f3dromo\u00a0completely removed.<\/p>\n<p>The small group of remaining residents in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo are demanding respect and honesty. The promises made by Mayor Paes consistently seem hollow and residents are forced to negotiate and revise their expectations every day. Around 50 families are certain they will remain regardless of any offered compensation. The community continues to plan for their future and with the support of two universities has devised an <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1PWnD87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">upgrading plan<\/a> (now in its fourth version) confirming residents want to, and can, <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1PbOueL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">co-exist with the construction of the Olympic Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25232\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25232\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Ping-Pong-Space.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25232 size-content\" title=\"The area where Vila Aut\u00f3dromo's ping pong table used to stand\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Ping-Pong-Space-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"The area where Vila Aut\u00f3dromo's ping pong table used to stand\" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Ping-Pong-Space-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Ping-Pong-Space-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25232\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The area where Vila Aut\u00f3dromo&#8217;s ping pong table used to stand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The demolition of the ping pong table however has come as a devastating shock to many of the remaining residents. The importance of the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1vU4Scn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">public space<\/a> for residents prompted an S.O.S as they stated, \u201cwe need help from everyone to stop the government&#8217;s violence.\u201d If the children\u2019s playground goes, \u201cthe community will have nothing,\u201d Luiz explained.<\/p>\n<p>The community, along with architecture professors and students from the Federal Fluminense University (UFF), have an <a href=\"http:\/\/on.fb.me\/1OdsZeU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">event planned<\/a> for the weekend of November 14-15, to &#8216;requalify&#8217; the playground at Vila Aut\u00f3dromo. The event, planned last month, is part of a university extension program and will hold a collective weekend of action utilizing recycled materials collected by residents to regenerate the area.<\/p>\n<p>Just last month UN-Habitat hosted a month-long initiative called <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1KKhyUp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Urban October<\/a> including World Habitat Day on October 5 celebrated with the theme &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1MfUYF9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Public Space for All<\/a>.&#8221; <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1kacG6c\">As outlined by the UN:<\/a> \u201cPublic spaces enhance community cohesion and promote health, happiness, and well-being for all citizens as well as fostering investment, economic development and environmental sustainability.\u201d Furthermore, <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1kacG6c\">UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon stated:<\/a> \u201cPublic spaces encourage people to communicate and collaborate with each other, and to participate in public life.\u201d This is a crucial concern for Vila Aut\u00f3dromo as they continue their collective community battle to live alongside\u00a0the Olympics.<\/p>\n<p>The UN Secretary General highlighted that public spaces are \u201ccrucial for poor and vulnerable citizens. Improving access to them increases equity, promotes <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1RAXmtK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">inclusion<\/a> and combats discrimination.\u201d In Vila Aut\u00f3dromo their public space has allowed them to host community events and welcome outside parties, including university students, agricultural groups as well as the general public. Resident Sandra Damias noted, \u201ceven those people who come from outside [the community] gather here.\u201d In the face of these mounting pressures, residents continue to resist and fight for their permanence and their vital remaining public spaces.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25247\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25247\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/16656742158_a36b5ec83d_k.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-content wp-image-25247\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/16656742158_a36b5ec83d_k-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"Over five years Vila Aut\u00f3dromo residents have received thousands of university students and faculty from around the world in the community playground\" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/16656742158_a36b5ec83d_k-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/16656742158_a36b5ec83d_k-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25247\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over five years Vila Aut\u00f3dromo residents have received thousands of university students and faculty from around the world in the community playground<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas Psychological pressures intensify in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo after the community&#8217;s\u00a0ping pong table was demolished and children\u2019s playground is under threat. The psychological stress\u00a0on residents in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo,\u00a0next to the 2016 Olympic Park, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=25201\" title=\"Is There Room for Ping Pong and the Olympics? SOS Vila Aut\u00f3dromo: Public Spaces Under Attack\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":25205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1293,1854,1736,1288,336,1329],"tags":[272,1497,11,5,1866,423,171,41,4,21],"writer":[1807],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-evictionswatch","8":"category-housingwatch","9":"category-1736","10":"category-highlight","11":"category-violations","12":"category-by-international-observers","13":"tag-mayor-eduardo-paes","14":"tag-eviction-tactics-misinformation","15":"tag-forced-evictions","16":"tag-olympics","17":"tag-peoples-plan","18":"tag-psychological-terror","19":"tag-public-space","20":"tag-un","21":"tag-vila-autodromo","22":"tag-west-zone","23":"writer-clare-huggins"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25201"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=25201"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=25201"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=25201"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=25201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}