Completely unnoticed by the public, dramatic scenes took place shortly before the World Cup final. Protests in Rio de Janeiro were nipped in the bud by an extremely large contingent of security forces. It was clearly visible: no critical voices were to spoil the big farewell party at any price.
A protest was planned for the day of the final match (July 13, 2014) at Praça Saens Peña at 1 pm. The square was already surrounded by military police at 10am. The police units were part of an immense contingent of security forces totaling 26,000 men. When the demonstrators tried to march towards the Maracanã stadium, the demonstration was violently suppressed. An observer captured the police’s actions on video. The video by Coletivo Mariachi shows (among other things) how the police targeted photographers, filmmakers and journalists in order to prevent them from documenting the police violence.
Intimidation through preventive arrests
On the day before July 13, 17 activists from the World Cup protest movement were preventively arrested in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre on the charge of “founding criminal organizations”. A total of 60 arrest warrants were issued. Also affected were members of our partner organization ANCOP, as well as professors, lawyers, teachers, students and activists from various social movements. The clear aim of these arrests was to demobilize and intimidate the protest movement. It was not until July 17 that twelve of the activists arrested in Rio de Janeiro were released from custody. The remaining five are still in custody. Among those arrested is the young university professor Camila Jourdan.
Legal advice for imprisoned activists
For our partner organization ANCOP, the results so far have been worrying. The suppression of peaceful protests has almost become the rule in Brazil since the mass protests in June 2013. Under the pretext of “public security”, the principles of the rule of law are being suspended and social movements are being deliberately persecuted and criminalized. terre des hommes schweiz uses the donations generated by the “Social Pay per View” campaign to support the imprisoned activists with legal advice or bail.
After the World Cup is before the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games will take place in Brazil in two years’ time. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent the organizers and the Brazilian government will resort to displacement and repression to get the country “ready” for the Games. ANCOP, with the help of terre des hommes schweiz, will continue to fight for civil rights, as the social movements could not be silenced. The public debate on social and political rights in Brazil will continue, especially in view of the elections in October.
