Brasilia: Bolsonaro Supporter Camp at Ministries Esplanade Dismantled

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The camps of President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters on the Ministries Esplanade were dismantled in an operation led by the Federal District’s Public Safety Secretariat (SSP) and the Legal Federal District (DF Legal), the capital’s inspection body. The State Police was in charge of removing the groups between Friday and Saturday.

Footage shows the corporation using pepper spray against militants still at the site yesterday morning. According to the State Police, there was resistance from the group.

In a joint note, the DF Legal and SSP reported that “the demonstrators were occupying a public area, at the Ministries Esplanade, which is not allowed.”

According to the local authorities, the groups were in breach of a decree issued by Governor Ibaneis Rocha, which bans crowds of more than 100 people in events requiring prior authorization from the Federal District government, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The operation for removing the demonstrators occurs over a month after the camp was set up. Among themselves, participants referred to it as “Brazil’s 300”. The demonstration, organized through social media, began on May 1st. According to the government, it has since then tried to negotiate the group’s removal.

“There were several attempts to negotiate the evacuation of the area, but there was no agreement. The camps were dismantled with no clashes”, reads the note.

Pepper spray

A video shows demonstrators sitting on an iron structure that would be from the camp in the Esplanade parking area. They start singing the national anthem when one of the police officers releases pepper spray against them.

According to the State Police, these are protesters who “tied themselves to the iron structure, resisting for hours.” The corporation states that “there was no violence, but the use of pepper spray in order to persuade the demonstrators to clear the area, avoiding physical confrontation.”

Reaction

Sara Winter, one of the leaders of the movement in support of President Bolsonaro, used social media to criticize the government’s action and demanded a statement from Bolsonaro. According to her, the PMDF and SSP “dismantled” the camp with “pepper spray and attacks”.

Winter is one of 17 people who are the target of a Federal Police operation against the spread of fake news and attacks on institutions on social media. The operation was ordered by Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes on May 27th.

According to the investigations, there are suspicions that the group is producing and spreading false information, following a message and frequency pattern.

Judicial debate 

The Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District (MPDFT) had already petitioned the appeals court for the Federal District (TJDFT) to demobilize the President’s supporters’ camp. The body compares the movement to an “armed militia”. However, the petition was rejected.

When judging the MP’s request, judge Paulo Afonso Cavichioli Carmona considered that the restriction “is not appropriate [in its entirety] to ensure the preservation of freedom of thought, freedom of movement and the right of assembly”.

The prosecutors appealed by presenting new documents in an attempt to once again demobilize the camp. The Civil Police began investigating members at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.

What the GDF says, PMDF note:

The State Police reports that some demonstrators were resisting leaving the premises and tied themselves to the iron structure, remaining there for hours. There was no violence, but the use of pepper spray in order to persuade the demonstrators to clear the area, avoiding physical confrontation.

Note from the SSP and DF Legal:

The DF Legal Secretariat reports that the demonstrators occupied a public area in the Ministries Esplanade, which is not permitted. Also, Decree No. 40,509/20, which deals with measures to tackle the pandemic, bans crowds of over 100 people in events that require prior authorization from the local government GDF.

The Department of Public Safety of the Federal District (SSP/DF) clarifies that the security forces intervened in support of the DF to dismantle the irregular camps, in compliance with local legislation.

There were several attempts to negotiate the evacuation of the area, but no agreement was reached. The camps were dismantled without confrontation.

Source: G1