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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 05/19/2006 : 02:25:52
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This news has intrigued me for several days:quote:
156 killed in wave of police vs. gang violence
Human rights groups criticize Brazilian police response
Wednesday, May 17, 2006; Posted: 10:26 p.m. EDT (02:26 GMT)
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- The body count grew in South America's largest city Wednesday as police -- who lost 41 comrades in gang attacks -- killed 22 more suspected criminals. Authorities said little about the latest deaths, generating criticism from rights groups.
Police did not identify any of those they killed, say where they were killed or in what circumstances, Sao Paulo's leading newspapers reported Wednesday.
Human rights activists said they feared innocent people may have been hurt in the strikes by police enraged by a notorious gang's attacks on officers on the streets, at their stations, in their homes and at after work hangouts.
Saulo de Castro de Abreu, Sao Paulo state public safety secretary, told reporters the identities of the criminals killed were not revealed "so as not to jeopardize investigations."
The latest deaths boosted the overall death toll to 156 since a wave of violence enveloped Sao Paulo last Friday, and came after officers shot 33 presumed gang members dead only a day earlier.
"The climate of terror can't be turned into carte blanche to kill," said Ariel de Castro Alves, coordinator of Brazil's National Human Rights Movement.
But in an interview with Brazil's Globo TV, the commander of Sao Paulo's state police said officers are now convinced they have stopped the gang attacks because most of the latest shootings happened outside of metropolitan Sao Paulo and none were the work of the First Capital Command gang.
Police claimed earlier they had gained the upper hand in their fight against the gang, accused of ordering the attacks on authorities after eight gang leaders were transferred to a lockup hundreds of miles from Sao Paulo.
From our scant coverage in the US, it sounds like a huge criminal gang is at war with Brazil, or at least with the State of Sao Paulo.
You live in the city of Sao Paulo, Siberia. Can you give us your impressions? What's going on? Do you feel safe? How are the people there reacting?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2006 : 17:24:27 [Permalink]
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Sorry, I hadn't seen this topic. Here we go:
This gang was born in one of SP's biggest prisons. Prisons here are... bad. They're really, really bad - they aren't secure and they aren't nearly as humane as they should be. Nonetheless, criminals have all types of absurd commodity and they've been smuggling cellphones into the prisons.
Well, they wanted to send those leaders to a different prison. Ensues riot. They've very organized, these criminals - they're basically everywhere. Add some corrupt policemen and officials, and you've chaos.
They burned buses, submachined bank agencies and police departments and were pretty much attacking every policemen they found. They even killed a fireman. Police fought back. The buses didn't go out Monday, police went around in packs, they organized themselves and started, well, shooting back.
So naturally, police invaded the slums, where most of the Command is based and arrested/killed many of the criminals involved and some who weren't involved. Mind you, not many innocents were killed or reported to be killed. We've some very skilled tactical police which, unfortunately, does not have the correct administration it should.
Monday, the buses didn't come out, as they burned quite a few of them (without people inside, by the way), the criminals apparently attacked some universities (most likely just baseless rumors) and the climate was of sheer terror (I wasn't afraid, though, as I live in rather quiet area). The media overblew it a lot, too, which only helped to increase it. Situation was pretty much normal by Tuesday morning, but they still cancelled classes in most universities/schools and people were hesitant to leave home.
As for my feelings; I believe the climate of terror was mostly caused by the media than anything. Many of those attacks were opportunistic, though, as in, made by other groups that not this gang. In a certain point, it was good, because it served as a wake-up call for the police and the general populace. Am I scared? Not at all. As I said, I live in a relatively safe place, and those events happened in the poorer parts - which doesn't make it better, of course. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2006 : 18:17:43 [Permalink]
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| I'm glad you're safe, Sib. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2006 : 04:23:14 [Permalink]
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Thank you so much for telling us about this, Siberia. Just as I suspected, hearing from someone trustworthy who's actually in the city gives us a lot more accurate picture of what's going on.
Like Dr. Mabuse and the rest of us here, I'm so glad you're safe and feel safe!
As events unfold, would you consider keeping us updated here?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/21/2006 05:02:31 |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2006 : 00:39:25 [Permalink]
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Wow! A whole different version of LA riots. That's amazing. I can't help notice that, as with the Watts riots I lived through and the later riots after the Rodney King trial, it affects a certain part of town, but not the majority of the rest of town. If you live there you know that. If you don't the news makes it look like it's happening in the entire city.
This is way off base but we had an arsonist here where 4 fire fighters died in the building. He burned it down trying to get insurance money. The guy fled to Brazil. And Brazil wouldn't extradite him until the state agreed not to seek the death penalty because Brazil doesn't have a death penalty. That is very interesting given what you are describing. |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 13:14:57 [Permalink]
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An addendum: I said they killed many criminals, however, these were reported to have attacked the police first - what happened is, the police had thumbs-up to react when threatened. As in, shoot me, I'll shoot you back, and I have a better aim than you.
Thanks all. Situation normality has returned and all is well, again. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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