Brazilian Favela Residents Protest against Police misconduct.

20/10/2017

Resident's of Rocinha gathered to protest alleged police violence within Brazil's largest favela, demonstrating an ongoing failure in the government's attempts to pacify the community.

The peaceful protest was organized by the Resident's Association of Rocinha in response to alleged police misconduct. Local media reports of unlawful home invasions and the assault of a 16-year old by members of the police forces have inflamed tensions in the community.

The newly elected president of the Resident's Association "Duda" stated that at the entrances of Rocinha the police were "the best in Rio" but on entering the community members of the infamous BOPE special operations unit would regularly assault and harass residents. A local woman, who did not want to give her name, said that any male within a certain age was likely to be arrested without cause.

Large numbers of police were preemptively stationed at entrances to the community to prevent the protests from spilling outside of the favela. Members of the Choque Battalion, one of those cited as having committed violence against residents, were in attendance.

There has been an increased police presence in the community since the withdrawal of the Brazilian Army which occupied the favela from the 22nd till the 29th of September. The occupation was in response to a violent civil war between members of the ADA (Friend's of Friend's) drug faction that involved more than a hundred heavily armed men invading the favela with assault rifles and grenades.

The war started when the on-ground commander of ADA's forces in Rocinha, Rogerio 157, failed to step down as ordered by ADA Leadership. Instead, he killed off members loyal to ADA and looked to ADA's competitor CV (Red Command) for backing. Although not receptive at first, after Rogerio defended the favela from the ADA invasion CV accepted him into the organization.

There is presently an ongoing manhunt for Rogerio 157 spanning several favelas and with a reward of R$50,000 ($16,000 USD.)

This protest is a small symptom of what is seen as an ongoing issue within Brazil: the alienation experienced by the countries poor from the government.

In the wake of the relatively peaceful Olympics violence skyrocketed in Rio with criminal factions conducting ongoing wars for the enormously profitable drug points located in the cities favelas.  Meanwhile, the police's budget was slashed by 35% after the games that left the city broke.

Rio's police force is working underfunded and in hazardous conditions with the threat of death being a daily reality. Members of the police have stated that they feel that residents are complicit in the drug tradeleading to further alienation. Favela resident's feel as though the police are an invading force and in many cases prefer the presence of narco-criminals that have grown up in the community.

Experts like Rio's ex-secretary of Public security Luiz Eduardo Soares have stated that without institutional reform within the police force the ability for the government to bring the favelas into Brazilian society is unlikely.