On this 24th of August, day of acts in the streets across the country against massacres, deaths and executions of black people, representatives of organizations that articulate the mobilization are in Brasilia and meet with representatives of the government, the Legislative and the Judiciary to present their letter of claims jointly signed by dozens of entities.
The text, entitled Our Children and the Black People Want to Live!, highlights that “facing racism and the various types of violence and inequalities resulting from it is not an exclusive task of the black population. It is the responsibility of the entire Brazilian society”, and presents a list of claims to public authorities and the judiciary (click here to read the document in full and read the list of demands presented at the end of this text).
The agenda of meetings began on Wednesday (23rd), when members of the groups were received at the headquarters of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by Minister Gilmar Mendes. The group heard from the minister the commitment to establish an agenda with the National Council of Justice (CNJ) and the National Council of the Public Ministry (CNMP) to discuss the guidelines addressed in the document.
This Thursday the melee identified itself. Members of the group were received in the morning by the minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat of the Lula government, Alexandre Padilha. Next, a meeting with another minister of state: Flávio Dino, from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
Group presented demands to Minister Flávio Dino / Black Coalition for Rights
Among the topics discussed with representatives of the federal government are the recent massacres committed by military police in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo, and in Rio de Janeiro, as well as the murder of quilombola leader Maria Bernardete Pacífico, in the metropolitan region of Salvador.
Representatives of the movements also had an audience with the mayor, federal deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL). On the agenda, some of the group’s demands related to the role of the Legislature, such as the end of the Drug Law, the mandatory use of body cameras by all police forces in the country and the limitation of police approaches.
President of the Chamber received a letter with demands presented by the entities / Black Coalition for Rights
The agenda continues in the afternoon, when a delegation returns to the headquarters of the Federal Supreme Court for two new hearings. This time, they will be received by Minister Luís Roberto Barroso and Minister Cármen Lúcia, in separate meetings.
The letter being delivered by representatives of the black movement to political and judicial leaders has a list of 11 demands. Read below.
1 – That the Federal Superior Court prohibit reactive police operations (with a vengeance character) against the murder of police officers and invasive operations in communities under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, based on the precedent of ADPF 635 of the Favelas and on the propositions of the ADPF 973 of Black Lives;
2 – To the National Congress, a Federal Law that makes it mandatory and regulates cameras in the uniforms of public security agents, at all levels (municipal guards, state and federal police), in addition to private security agents throughout the country;
3 – National compensation plan for family members and victims of the state, as well as for their territories, by the Federal Government;
4 – To the Federal Government, the federalization of all cases in which the result of the police incursion characterizes murders, executions and/or slaughters and massacres;
5 – To the National Congress and the STF, the construction of a drug policy that is based on scientific evidence, the guarantee of human and individual rights, the reduction of damages, the promotion of education and public health, its decriminalization, definitively placing an end to the war on drugs, which continues to justify massacres against black and poor lives across the country;
6 – To the National Congress and the STF to place limits on police approaches so that they are not racist and discriminatory based on the creation of objective criteria for “founded suspicion” (institution of a National Police Approach System);
7 – To the STF, Congress and the Federal Government, the strengthening of mechanisms to prevent and combat and rigorously punish torture, such as in-person custody hearings and the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Combat of Torture, including the 29 recommendations of the National Commission of Truth 2014.
8 – To the National Congress, the repeal of Drug Law 11.343/2006, the end of homicides resulting from opposition to police action and the demilitarization of the police;
9 – To the National Congress and the STF, that they impose methods of external control on police action and accountability and demand for the constitutional role of the Public Prosecution Service with regard to limiting the violent action of the police.
10 – Suspension of any investment in the construction of new prison units, and absolute prohibition of the privatization of the prison system, without prejudice to an immediate solution to the overcrowding of Brazilian prisons, given the very serious degradation of human dignity.
11 – For the recognition of terreiros as spaces of the sacred and for the titling of quilombola territories in Brazil; Protection and guarantee of life for human rights defenders from quilombolas and African origins! Enough of religious racism! Title now!
Click here to read the document in full.
Editing: Thalita Pires
