{"id":79410,"date":"2024-09-13T15:40:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T18:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=79410"},"modified":"2024-09-22T16:05:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T19:05:52","slug":"nearing-the-end-of-his-third-term-rio-de-janeiros-mayor-reignites-pre-olympic-reputation-of-forced-evictions-in-mares-parque-uniao-amongst-daily-police-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=79410","title":{"rendered":"Nearing the End of His Third Term, Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Reignites Pre-Olympic Reputation of Forced Evictions in Mar\u00e9\u2019s Parque Uni\u00e3o, Amongst Daily Police Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"An<\/a>
Destroyed apartment complex in Mar\u00e9’s Parque Uni\u00e3o favela. Photo: Rat\u00e3o Diniz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Imagine waking up on what seems like an ordinary morning, and suddenly being interrupted by the police saying: \u201cLeave your home now, we’re tearing everything down!\u201d Entire families with elders, children, people with disabilities, single mothers\u2014everyone being thrown out on the street without warning, without support, and without direction. This is how, on August 19, families from Parque Uni\u00e3o<\/a>, one of the 16 favelas that make up the Mar\u00e9 Complex<\/a>\u00a0in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone<\/a>, were awakened.<\/p>\n

Since then, a resistance movement fighting for the right to housing<\/a> has gained strength and taken to the streets. Families are refusing to leave. So far, 32 buildings and 162 apartments<\/a> have been demolished. The police operations that accompany the demolition teams are spreading panic throughout the favela and have led to the closure of 26 municipal schools<\/a> in the region, leaving thousands of students without class.<\/p>\n

On September 3<\/a>, the 14th day of the operation, three people were killed, and there were reports of residents being tortured, homes invaded, and belongings stolen by public agents. A Transbrasil BRT<\/a> bus was hit by gunfire. Fortunately, no passengers were injured. Throughout the entire day, hundreds of thousands of lives were put at risk, including residents of Complexo da Mar\u00e9 and those traveling along the major expressways surrounding the cluster of favelas, such as Linha Vermelha<\/a>, Avenida Brasil<\/a>, and Linha Amarela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In total, there have been 14 police operations on consecutive days or very close to one another, focused on Parque Uni\u00e3o and Nova Holanda<\/a>, but with police incursions at certain times spreading to other favelas in the complex, such as Parque Mar\u00e9<\/a>, Rubens Vaz<\/a>, Morro do Timbau<\/a>, Baixa do Sapateiro<\/a>, Vila do Jo\u00e3o<\/a>, Vila dos Pinheiros<\/a>, and Conjunto Esperan\u00e7a<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The largest federal university in the country, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ<\/a>), early-released students and faculty due to the shootings, canceled classes, and temporarily closed its institutes at various points during the weeks of operations. Throughout the day, 38 schools suspended classes. In an election year<\/a>, residents are denouncing the electoral motives<\/a> behind the actions of City Hall, the Military Police (PMERJ<\/a>), and the Civil Police<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A family has been posting in real time. Greice Kelly dos Santos, 23, is the mother of three children, including a one-month-old baby. She and her 17-year-old brother have been widely sharing on social media the abuses perpetrated by the police and the Rio de Janeiro City Hall’s Municipal Department of Public Order (SEOP<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chief of police said they would call the Guardianship Council to take away my children because I was exposing them to risks.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When, actually, it was the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, the PMERJ, and the Civil Police who were exposing her children and the entire population of Parque Uni\u00e3o to risks,.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Divulga Mar\u00e9 (@divulga.mare)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n