Hundreds of people took to the streets in one of the favelas targeted by the deadliest police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history, demanding the resignation of Rio state governor Claudio Castro.
The group of protesters gathered on Friday in Villa Cruzeiro, part of the Peña favela complex that came under attack, to express their anger at this week’s police operation, which has killed at least 121 people, including four police officers, according to Al Jazeera.
The bloody incident
Around 2,500 police and soldiers stormed favelas – poor and densely populated neighborhoods built on steep hillsides – across Rio on Tuesday 28 October, targeting the notorious Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang in the Alemão and Peña favelas.
The police, backed by armored vehicles and helicopters, provoked retaliation from the gang members, sparking scenes of chaos across the city.
The aim is claimed to have been to arrest the gang’s leaders and halt its territorial expansion.
Authorities initially claimed that only 64 people had been killed, but the next day, residents found dozens of bodies in a nearby wooded area.
Political responsibility
Locals, politicians, activists, as well as grieving mothers who lost sons in previous operations, expressed their anger as they gathered in Villa Cruzeiro, where a few days earlier residents had placed dozens of bodies.
Much of the anger was directed at Rio’s right-wing governor, Castro, with protesters calling him a “murderer”.
“Castro out, stop the massacres!” chanted the protesters, demanding that the governor resign or be sent to prison.
“Killing young people in the favelas is not public policy. It’s a massacre,” said local councilor Monica Benicio.
Castro called the operation “successful” against “narco-terrorists”, claiming the dead were criminals who resisted police.
The state government claimed that of the 99 suspects identified so far, 42 had outstanding arrest warrants, while at least 78 had extensive criminal records.
A sign at Friday’s demonstration read: “120 lives lost is not a success,” while another said: “Castro has blood on his hands.”
Excessive violence and atrocities
Many also condemned the condition in which the bodies were found.
At least one body was reportedly decapitated, while others were found with stab wounds or tied up.
The death toll, the highest ever recorded in a Rio police operation, drew condemnation from human rights groups and the United Nations. Human Rights Watch condemned the “disastrous operation” and called on Brazilian authorities to “ensure an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into each death.”
Brazil’s Supreme Court and lawmakers have also ordered Castro to provide detailed information about how the operation was conducted.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has scheduled a hearing with Castro and the heads of the military and civilian police on November 3.
Castro has accused the government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of being soft on crime, saying the federal government has abandoned Rio in its fight against gangs.
Amid the criticism, Lula said on Friday that he had submitted a bill to parliament proposing a minimum prison sentence of 30 years for gang members.
