Five people were detained for almost four hours by the Legislative Police of the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasília, because they were participating in a peaceful demonstration in front of the National Congress against Bill 6299/2002.
Also known as the Poison Bill, the text provides rules that facilitate authorization for the use of pesticides in Brazil.
Understand what the “Poison Pack” is and how to fight it
The demonstration started around 9 am this Wednesday (16). Less than thirty minutes later, people who were at the protest were approached by men in the uniform of the Legislative Police.
The only five participants in the act were detained for nearly four hours. One of them gave a statement, and the group was informed that an investigative process would be opened.
In a video, posted on social media by environmental movements, four agents can be seen ordering protesters to remove an inflatable structure that was being lifted from the site.
A #cancer bench she got nervous with the group that doesn’t want to eat poison and put the Legislative Police to arrest the activists. Note the free and cowardly use of pepper spray. Imagine if it was glyphosate. pic.twitter.com/cUOFEMM4eI
— Climate Observatory (@obsclima) February 16, 2022
During the action, one of the policemen hits two people with spray of pepper. The agents were said to have been irritated by how long an inflatable structure used in the protest took to deflate.
In the recordings, one of them uses curses when asking for the object to be removed from the place. Posters were also unusable. The video also shows the presence of two military police officers observing the approach.
“The protest was motivated because we think it is a matter of extreme importance and that it is not getting enough attention. Parliamentarians are voting on this at the drop of a hat, in the middle of a pandemic, without the participation of society”, reports a person linked to the protesters, who preferred not to be identified for fear of retaliation.
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disproportionate approach
The group considers that the approach was disproportionate. “Society is not having the space to discuss the matter. The protest is legitimate and, in addition to being peaceful, it is about a matter of interest to the entire Brazilian population. The voice of society needs to be heard, and society needs to be welcomed by those who make the decisions”, he positioned himself.
The report contacted the Legislative Police for clarification on the action, but did not receive a response until the publication of this report.
Editing: Rodrigo Durao Coelho
