{"id":30258,"date":"2016-07-07T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2016-07-07T15:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=30258"},"modified":"2016-07-09T08:31:20","modified_gmt":"2016-07-09T11:31:20","slug":"we-are-from-mare-we-have-rights-residents-react-to-intense-police-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=30258","title":{"rendered":"“We Are From Mar\u00e9. We Have Rights!” Legal Victory, Campaign Amid Intense Police Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

On July 2, the campaign \u201cWe Are from Mar\u00e9. We Have Rights!<\/a>\u201d was launched in Vila do Jo\u00e3o<\/a>, Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a>\u2014the first in a series of three events to be held this month aiming to mobilize residents and bring visibility to human rights violations<\/a> that frequently take place during police operations in Mar\u00e9\u2019s favelas.<\/p>\n

Located in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro near the Rio-Gale\u00e3o International Airport, Complexo da Mar\u00e9 is composed of\u00a016 favelas that extend between the Avenida Brasil and Linha Vermelha highways.\u00a0The group of favelas, home to <\/span>approximately 140,000 people<\/a>,\u00a0is considered the largest complex in\u00a0Rio by population size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The campaign is an initiative of Mar\u00e9\u2019s 16 Neighborhood\u00a0Associations<\/a> in addition to the following organizations: Redes da Mar\u00e9<\/a>,\u00a0Observat\u00f3rio\u00a0de\u00a0Favelas<\/a>, Fight for Peace<\/a>, Instituto Vida Real<\/a>, Amnesty International<\/a>, Actionaid<\/a>, Religious Studies Institute (ISER)<\/a>, the Center for Study on Safety and Citizenship (CESEC)<\/a>, the Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Actions for Citizenship (NIAC)<\/a>\u00a0and Casa Fluminense<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The campaign launch began with a gathering on the main road in Vila do Jo\u00e3o, one of Mar\u00e9’s southernmost favelas. Participants\u2014residents of Mar\u00e9’s favelas and activists from supporting organizations\u2014stopped passersby on the street next to the open-air market to provide information about the campaign and hand out flyers. The event continued with music and dance performances by local youth groups.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Later, participants split up into teams\u2014each assigned a few\u00a0streets\u2014and went door-to-door to speak with residents about the proper course of action in case of rights violations by police. Campaigners encouraged residents to post a sticker on their doors that reads: \u201cI am from Mar\u00e9. You and I are from the same city. We have the same rights. My house is my place of comfort and protection. It cannot be invaded. Respect this.\u201d The sticker also contains telephone numbers for relevant public authorities should residents wish to denounce violations witnessed or experienced.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am from Mar\u00e9. You and I are from the same city. We have the same rights. My house is my place of comfort and protection. It cannot be invaded. Respect this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The current campaign, reviving a movement first initiated in 2012<\/a>\u00a0and ongoing throughout 2013<\/a>, has been set into motion in the context of\u00a0public security<\/a> concerns in advance of the Olympics<\/a>, particularly given\u00a0recent intense police operations in Mar\u00e9. In the period of ten days from June 20 to 29, three operations were carried out in Mar\u00e9 connected to the search for alias \u201cFat Family\u201d\u2014a drug trafficker who was freed from Hospital Souza Aguiar by armed accomplices on June 19.<\/p>\n

In the search and apprehension process, home invasions have become so commonplace that the presidents of Neighborhood\u00a0Associations from four of Mar\u00e9’s favelas\u2014with the support of public defenders and activists from Redes da Mar\u00e9,\u00a0Observat\u00f3rio\u00a0de\u00a0Favelas\u00a0and Fight for Peace\u2014took legal action after an operation was conducted in the middle of the night on June 29\/30.<\/p>\n

In response, that same day,\u00a0Judge Angelica dos Santos Costa issued a court order<\/a> stating that\u00a0police are not permitted to conduct household searches at night in accordance with Article 5, Section XI of Brazil’s Constitution<\/a>, which states:\u00a0\u201cThe home is the individual’s inviolable asylum that nobody may penetrate without the consent of the resident, except in case of a crime caught in the act or disaster, or to provide emergency assistance, or during the day, by judicial determination.”<\/p>\n

Yet more, the judge issued a subpoena, requiring Rio de Janeiro state\u00a0authorities\u2014namely, Commander of the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE)<\/a> Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Eduardo Sarmento da Costa, Secretary of Public Security\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Mariano Beltrame<\/a>, and Commander of the Riot Police Battalion\u00a0F\u00e1bio Almeida de Souza\u2014to provide information and issue ministerial statement in response to the allegations of abuse of authority.\u00a0According to Public Defender Daniel Loyoza Constant Lopes<\/a>, these allegations include “shots fired from high caliber weapons in crowded places, home invasions, false imprisonment, seizure of belongings from inside residences, swearing at residents, etc.\u201d<\/div>\n

\"Ernani<\/a><\/p>\n

The decision was complemented by the judge\u2019s denunciation of the current state of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s security apparatus:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s impermissible that in the 21st century, a way has not been found to confront criminality without exposing good citizens. Many say that during the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro will be safe, however, society needs public security before, during, and after the said event.\u00a0There is no doubt that it is necessary to carry out police operations with the aim of complying with arrest and\/or search and apprehension warrants\u2026\u00a0On the other hand, public security authorities should adopt proper measure to preserve lives and the right for people to come and go, seeking\u2014through intelligence and planning services\u2014to minimize risk for a population who have suffered and are frightened by the cases of violence.\u00a0The local population cannot remain hostage during rushed and poorly planned operations\u2014let alone justified by the police with\u00a0the fragile argument of capturing criminals. This is not the police that society needs and desires. It is absurd that Rio de Janeiro, given the violence in recent years, is living in a time of unrest and total public insecurity without the slightest decrease in crime rates.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The decision has been celebrated as a significant victory for residents of Mar\u00e9, setting legal precedent that could lead to greater transparency with regard to short and long term public security plans for Mar\u00e9.\u00a0However, given the continued unrest and unfulfilled plans of installing a Pacifying Police Unit (UPP)<\/a> prior to the\u00a0Olympics<\/a>\u2014Beltrame cited budget constraints at a public hearing in March 2016<\/a>\u2014residents and observers speculate that the Armed Forces may occupy Mar\u00e9 in anticipation of the Games.<\/p>\n

As established by the 1988 Constitution, Brazil’s Military Police<\/a> and Armed Forces\u00a0serve interdependent functions: the Military Police can be called upon as reserve forces to provide support for (largely external) military activities, and conversely, the\u00a0Armed Forces can be deployed in the internal, civil realm at times of public disorder. The constitutional foundation for\u00a0“Operations\u00a0for the\u00a0Guarantee of Law and Order\u201d (GLO)<\/a>\u00a0is found in Article 142<\/a>, which states that the Armed Forces are intended for\u00a0\u201cthe defense of the Country, the guarantee of constitutional powers, and by the initiative of any of these branches, of law and order.” During GLO operations in internal domestic\u2014often urban\u2014contexts,\u00a0Armed Forces are vested with policing powers including patrol, search and arrest.<\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t be the first time the Armed Forces have occupied Mar\u00e9<\/a>.\u00a0At the request of then-governor\u00a0S\u00e9rgio Cabral, on March 28, 2014\u2014two months prior to the World Cup\u2014President Dilma Rousseff signed a decree<\/a> authorizing the Armed Forces to enter Mar\u00e9.\u00a0June 30, 2015 marked the end of a 15-month long occupation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ernani\u00a0Alcides\u00a0da Conceic\u00e3o, professor of philosophy and history and educator at community-based organization Redes da Mar\u00e9, stated:<\/p>\n

The State is present in the community in a very violent way\u2014it\u2019s not like this in other parts of the city. We want to affirm that we are from Mar\u00e9 and we have rights. We want to be treated like citizens in accordance with the Constitution. The right to public security is fundamental\u2014but we want to participate in building\u00a0the model of public security. There needs to be engagement.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ernani continued to describe the importance of mobilizing and uniting residents through the campaign: “Firstly, we want to show residents that there are mechanisms of defense that can be activated\u2014this is essential for bringing awareness to our rights. Also, we want to show that together we are much more powerful. It\u2019s possible and necessary to change the situation.”<\/p>\n

The next campaign launch will take place on July 16 at Piscin\u00e3o de Ramos, Mar\u00e9, followed by a third launch on July 30 in Nova Holanda<\/a>,\u00a0Mar\u00e9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas On July 2, the campaign \u201cWe Are from Mar\u00e9. We Have Rights!\u201d was launched in Vila do Jo\u00e3o, Complexo da Mar\u00e9\u2014the first in a series of three events to be held […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":30261,"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":[1736,1277,1288,1290,1333,335,336,1329],"tags":[1295,9,1913,2119,245,356,1713,756,280,449,125,25,1259,918,37,523,5,15,152,17,809,1555,270,268,30,167,365],"writer":[1695],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-30258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-1736","8":"category-uppwatch","9":"category-highlight","10":"category-civilsociety","11":"category-event-reports","12":"category-policies","13":"category-violations","14":"category-by-international-observers","15":"tag-securityupdate","16":"tag-9","17":"tag-amnesty-international","18":"tag-armed-forces","19":"tag-beltrame","20":"tag-bope","21":"tag-casa-fluminense","22":"tag-community-organizing","23":"tag-complexo-da-mare","24":"tag-constitution","25":"tag-drug-traffic","26":"tag-human-rights","27":"tag-mega-events","28":"tag-military-police","29":"tag-north-zone","30":"tag-observatorio-de-favelas","31":"tag-olympics","32":"tag-pacifying-police-unit","33":"tag-participation","34":"tag-police-brutality","35":"tag-public-security","36":"tag-redes-de-desenvolvimento-da-mare","37":"tag-resistance","38":"tag-state-violence","39":"tag-urban-violence","40":"tag-world-cup","41":"tag-zero-participation","42":"writer-ava-rose-hoffman"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30258","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\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30258"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=30258"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=30258"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=30258"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=30258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}