{"id":55257,"date":"2019-08-23T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T11:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=55257"},"modified":"2020-03-20T10:35:21","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T13:35:21","slug":"six-youth-dead-in-a-week-favelas-respond-to-rio-governor-witzel-blaming-human-rights-for-police-killings-voicesfromsocialmedia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=55257","title":{"rendered":"Police Kill 6 Youth in a Week: Favelas Respond to Rio Governor Blaming ‘Human Rights’ #VoicesFromSocialMedia"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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This article is part of RioOnWatch\u2019s #VoicesFromSocialMedia<\/a> seri<\/em><\/span>es, which compiles perspectives posted on social media by favela residents and activists about eve<\/em>nts and societal themes that arise. <\/em>It is also the first article in a year-long partnership with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies<\/a> at San Diego State Uni<\/em>versity to produce monthly favela-sourced human rights reporting from Rio de Janeiro on RioOnWatch.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Friday, August 16, Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel<\/a>, following the death of six youths in a single week of police operations around the state, declared that \u201chuman rights\u201d were to blame for the loss of life. Speaking alongside police in the Baixada Fluminense<\/a> city of Nova Igua\u00e7u<\/a>, the former federal judge called activists \u201cpseudo-defenders of human rights<\/a>,\u201d saying \u201cthey don\u2019t want police to kill people carrying rifles. So it\u2019s on your hands, human rights defenders. The bodies of these youths are not on my hands. They\u2019re on yours.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The six<\/a>, Gabriel Pereira Alves, age 18, Lucas Monteiro dos Santos Costa, 21, Tiago Freitas, 21, Dyogo Costa Xavier de Brito, 16, Henrico de Jesus Viegas de Menezes J\u00fanior, 19, and Margareth Teixeira, 17, were each caught by stray bullets or direct fire, the majority during police operations in or around Rio favelas.<\/p>\n

Alves, a student at Herbert de Souza High School, was hit by a stray bullet<\/a> on his way to school from his home in the favela of Borel<\/a>, on the outskirts of Tijuca Forest<\/a> when a police operation began<\/a> on August 9. Santos Costa and Freitas, both members of the army’s infantry parachute brigade<\/a> were found dead after a firefight broke out at a party on August 10 in the North Zone<\/a> neighborhood of Encantado. Brito, an aspiring soccer player<\/a>, was found shot in the back after a police operation in Niteroi’s<\/a> Grota favela on August 12. Menezes Junior, a supermarket clerk<\/a>, was caught by a stray bullet during a shootout between police and drug traffickers in Mag\u00e9<\/a>, in Greater Rio’s<\/a> Baixada Fluminense<\/a>, also on August 12. Teixeira, hit during an August 13 police operation in Bangu<\/a>, in Rio’s West Zone<\/a>, died with her toddler son in her arms<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stunned at the governor’s allegation that human rights defenders deserved blame for the bloodshed, Rio civil society struck back. Community activists from around the city organized a tweetstorm, using the hashtag #ACulpa\u00c9DoWitzel<\/a> (#BlameItOnWitzel) to call attention to State responsibility for deaths resulting from police action. The hashtag soon jumped to the number two trending spot on Brazilian Twitter, reflecting wide-spread outrage at the governor\u2019s words.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A\u00ed, @wilsonwitzel<\/a>. Isso aqui \u00e9 na minha casa, s\u00e3o meus filhos e filha deitados no ch\u00e3o, enquanto o helic\u00f3ptero da pol\u00edcia passava atirando, igual vc fez uma vez numa outra favela do Estado. Nesse momento, nesse exato momento do desespero, vc s\u00f3 constr\u00f3i terror. #ACulpa\u00c9DoWitzel<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/t8nugDUkCp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Santiago, Raull (@raullsantiago) August 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n