Brazil Police Raid Ends Occupation of Culture Building in Rio

Brazilian Federal Police forcefully remove two demonstrators from the Gustavo Capanema Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 25, 2016. | Photo: Facebook / @midiaNINJA

Federal police in Brazil conducted a surprise raid Monday morning of an occupation protest at the Gustavo Capanema Palace, home of the ministry of culture in Rio de Janeiro, forcefully removing a group of artists who had taken over the building after the coup government of Michel Temer came to power in Brazil in May. Heavily armed police arrived with a judicial order to evict the demonstrators and end the occupation by artists opposed to the interim government.

Heavily armed police arrived during the early morning hours of Monday and gave the occupants five minutes to voluntarily leave. After a period of negotiation with those inside, the demonstrators were ultimately given a half hour to exit.

Midia Ninja, a news outlet present during the raid, said one woman was attacked by police. In a video it posted online, a woman can be seen being dragged down a set of winding stairs by police in riot gear.

The group had been present inside the Gustavo Capanema Palace for over two months and in that time had organized more than a thousand free activities related to art and culture.

Temer eliminated the Ministry of Culture soon after forming his all-white and all-male government, a decision that was met with heavy criticism both inside Brazil and abroad.

The leader of the interim government eventually relented to pressure and, after struggling to find someone willing to serve in his government, restored the ministry and appointed Marcelo Calero as minister of culture.

Upon assuming the post, Calero promised to respect the demonstrators and had said he would not forcefully take the building back from the collective occupying the building.

The judicial order authorizing the raid referred to those inside as “unknown robbers,” despite the fact that it was mostly artists who were occupying Gustavo Capanema Palace.

Once evicted, the demonstrators chanted “democracy” and “Out Temer” in front of the police who prevented the artists from reentering the building.

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