Eviction of Squatters Ends in Confrontation and Looting at Downtown São Paulo

09/17/2014 - 09h01

The reintegration of ownership from a building on São João Avenue, in downtown São Paulo, ended in clashes between squatters and police shock troops, store looting and vandalism, paralyzing some areas for more than 12 hours, on Tuesday (16).

The military police commander, Glauco Silva de Carvalho, said they identified moves from members of the "black block" tactic (that believe in damaging property as a form of protest) in the crowd, including an arson attack on a bus.

The building, occupied for about six months by 315 families from FLM (Front Fight for Housing), had already postponed two reintegrations.

The housing movement leaders, the owner of the building and the Military Police had come to an agreement for the new eviction. Squatters said they would leave peacefully if there were enough moving trucks.

Around 6 a.m., when the reintegration started, there was conflict between police and squatters, who claimed there were only 13 of the 40 trucks promised. Police said the vehicles were there, but not all parked simultaneously.

"We did not break the agreement. The aggression started from residents, who threw objects at the police," said the Secretary of Security, Fernando Grella.

Housing leaders deny. They say some of their members only threw objects from the window (rocks, coconuts, sofas and furniture pieces) at the police after the shock troops entered the building and started firing tear gas.

When watching on TV that the police was entering the building, the street vendor William Jonatan de Jesus, 31, said he jumped from the third floor with his 4 month-old son taking two other children by the hand.

"I put the baby in the 'kangaroo' and jumped off with the children a scaffold in a neighboring building under renovation," he says.

There was no time to go back and get the wife and his eldest son, who were taken by police. Without a place at the police station, the two were among the 80 squatters hold inside the building, sitting on the floor of a gas station, waiting.

MOLOTOV COCKTAILS

Police chief Jacques Ezenbaum said that 12 molotov cocktails were found inside the building and that 75 squatters were blacklisted and released early afternoon.

He said that, except for the children, all must be indicted on suspicion of robbery (invading to take ownership) and two other -Adriano Santos, 22, and Andre Andro, 26 will be indicted on suspicion of body injury against two police officers. One of them broke his leg during the confrontation.

According to the lawyer Juliana Avanci, these young man are victims. "They got hit: one had a cut on his face, the other had a broken arm," she said.

Still in the morning, the clashes spread out in downtown. Shops closed doors and barricades made of garbage bags were burned, blocking roads.

The police were the target of rocks and firecrackers and fired rubber bullets and tear gas.

Stores were vandalized, and two mobile shops were looted. At least six people were arrested for theft.

A bus was torched in front of the Municipal Theater by about 15 masked people, police said. Only a young 19 year-old girl was arrested on suspicion for participating in the attack.

Bruna Oliveira, who lived at the invaded building, wore mask, but was recognized by one policeman.

According to her defense, the girl said she entered the bus to grab a fire extinguisher.

The clashes died down and around 1 p.m., businesses reopened, but not for long. New barricades were set up around 4 p.m. and police started to use bombs again to disperse demonstrators and onlookers.

Store owners decided to close doors again and released employees early.

Some of them, wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from tear gas, looked for buses, not knowing that the bus fleet had been diverted to avoid conflicts.

Translated by SIMONE PALMA

Read the article in the original language