São Paulo court orders release of jailed protesters
Protests against President Michel Temer in São Paulo 
A court on Monday (Sept. 5) ordered the release of 18 of the 27 protesters arrested by military police Sunday (4) during protests against President Michel Temer in São Paulo. According to Marcelo Feller, an attorney for one of the released activists, “the judge lifted the custody because he found the detainees had not committed any crime.” According to him, the charges have been dropped, but the released protesters may still be investigated.
“In the judge's words, these are sad days for our democracy, regardless of people's political views, and he said verbally, woe is the nation whose citizens have to suffer and keep quiet about it,” said Feller, who was at the hearing that ordered the release.
According to a protester who identified herself as Sofia, although the arrest took place around 3:30pm, the reason for the detention was still unknown by 5am. She said female detainees were forced to go to the metro station restroom and “take off all their clothes to be searched by female police officers.”
One of the released young men, who identified himself as Gabriel, said a police officer grabbed a bent iron bar and said it belonged him. “In the police report they wrote the bar was mine, that they had found it in my backpack. I didn't even have a backpack,” Gabriel said.
Commander defends police action
At a news conference in the afternoon, the commander of the capital police patrol, Dimitrios Fyskatoris, defended the actions taken by military police (PM) during the protests and said he had not detected any excesses. “Military police has the required expertise, training, and equipment, and has being doing a good job of monitoring demonstrations mostly with no issues,” he said.
Last week, there were protests against Michel Temer from Monday (Aug. 29) through Friday (Sept. 2) and on Sunday (4) organized by several movements, and all of them were repressed by military police with tear gas, pepper sprays, and rubber bullets.
On Sunday, shortly after the event had been wound up by the organizers, police began firing tear gas, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
According to Colonel Fyskatoris, the purpose of the measure was merely saving lives. He said that when the protesters were already dispersing, “there was widespread vandalism by individuals or small groups.” He emphasized that military police had to “restore order” to “protect lives.”
The colonel noted that military police adopt certain procedures that cover specific riot control measures, such as firing rubber bullets down. Asked about police repression on the streets in recent days and attacks on media staff, the colonel denied any protocols had been breached and said those cases could be regarded as occasional “misconduct”. When that happens, he said, the facts are “thoroughly investigated.”
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: São Paulo court orders release of jailed protesters
