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Court Rules to Bulldoze Jureré Internacional 'Beach Clubs', in Florianopolis
05/25/2016 - 13h05
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FROM SÃO PAULO
The southern city of Florianopolis is world-renowned for its hip and hopping party scene.
Home to rows of popular "beach clubs", the Jurerê Internacional beach has become a favourite hang-out with Brazilian celebrities, enthusiastic revellers and tourists alike.
However, a federal court in the state of Santa Catarina has called for an end to the festivities, ruling the clubs be demolished.
In the decision, the judge Marcelo Krás Borges stipulated that the establishments could incur fines ranging from R$ 100,000 (US$ 28,000) to R$ 10 million (US$ 2.8 million) if they failed to comply with the court order.
There is a grace period of thirty days after the ruling's implementation, after which establishments will be fined R$ 100,000 (US$ 28,000) per day.
The judge also revoked the clubs' licences and permits. The ruling can be appealed in the first instance.
The "beach clubs", situated along one of the city's liveliest stretches of beach, provoked harsh criticism among the area's residents, who protested against this use of public space.
The legal process began in 2008, when residents complained about noise levels.
A public civil action demanding the bars be closed down was backed by the union, the Jurerê Internacional Residents Association (made up of apartment buildings and resorts), the Ibama (The Brazilian Environmental Institute) and the Public Federal Ministry.
At the end of 2015 and the beginning of this year, the court passed a preliminary injunction banning the installation of huts, chairs and parasols on the beach.
"Since the bars sprung up on the beach and were not licensed to be there, the whole endeavour is totally illegal. These establishments were being run with no environmental permits. We have the right to compensation for every year the environment was put at risk by their presence. The area is protected by the Rainforest Code owing to the prevalence of endangered flora, and the bars jeopardised the growth of rare plants," read the magistrate's sentence.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY
The establishments are owned by the Jurerê Open Shopping franchise, who announced it would lodge an appeal against the sentence.
"The measure is totally unreasonable. These bars have been licensed for years, even decades, and we have the evidence to prove it," stated lawyer Rafael de Assis Horn, defending the venture.
Read the article in the original language
Caio Cezar/Folhapress | ||
Court rules to bulldoze Jureré Internacional 'beach clubs', in Florianopolis |