In a public note Union of Professional Journalists of Minas Gerais (SJPMG) refused to attend military police at the headquarters during the action against political violence. The episode took place last Thursday (14) at the start of an internal meeting at defense of democracylife and in honor of the people who died because of political intolerance.

The action held at its headquarters was political and denounced the radicalization by far rightwhich has in President Jair Bolsonaro (Poland) main motivator. However, the corporation sent a uniformed police officer to the headquarters to collect information about this event. The argument presented by Police Officer Reis was to “guarantee the safety” of the event during “times of polarization”.

It wasn’t the first time

The union’s leadership indicated that it did not require “guards” and that the prime minister’s presence was not required, on the contrary, it sounded like embarrassment and intimidation. The reaction of the leadership is the result of a series of similar events, when police officers appear on the street whenever meetings and actions are held at their headquarters.

Casa do Jornalista is inherently associative and political in nature, since, in addition to protecting professional journalists and freedom of the press, it is also a historical reference for the defense of democracy. Such manifestations, whether on the part of a legal entity or other partners, are guaranteed by the Constitution.

The police officer filmed the incident

Before leaving, the policeman took a picture of the protest poster and collected data from the president of the union, journalist Alessandra Mello. Subsequently, an unidentified man, suspected by the union to be a P2 (a police officer from the prime minister’s intelligence sector who walks in civilian clothes), began to photograph and film what was happening on the street. When asked by the participants about the reasons for filming and whether he was the prime minister, the man said that he was an Uber driver. In addition to the PM, the vehicle Municipal Guard of the Municipality of Belo Horizonte also appeared upon alleging receipt of the complaint.

This is not the first time the prime minister has spoken at the headquarters. The apparent presence of the prime minister at the door of the organization is frequent, but inside the headquarters this was the first time. March 21 in the act of compensation for damage to the environmentalist Apollo Heringerwho was sued for criticizing mining, the prime minister was there in May of this year with a car parked outside the union door wearing a gyroflex.

“The holding of political actions and demonstrations is a right guaranteed by the Federal Constitution in Article 5. They do not require permission or prior license, especially in private places such as the headquarters of the Union of Journalists. The Magna Carta also guarantees the right to freedom of speech and thought,” said Alessandra Mello. SJPMG wants to know about the Military Police Command and Governor Romeu Zema (new) if they agree with such an attempt at intimidation.

The position of the Zema government and the prime minister

At the request of the BEYOND FACT website, Minas government and PMMG released notes: “The government of Minas reaffirms its respect for the constitutional right to demonstrate, personal freedoms and freedom of the press. The military police of Minas Gerais explained that it is customary to send police garrisons to any mass demonstrations that take place in order to ensure the safety of those present and to ensure that the constitutional right is fully exercised.

In this case, having completed the main task of the PMMG, the garrison returned to the ostensible patrol, without any further complications during the demonstration..

The Prime Minister’s note was signed by the head of ALCO/1st BPM, Prime Minister’s 1st Lieutenant Natalia Araujo. “The 1st BPM questioned the presence of the PMMG at the demonstration held by the Union of Journalists on 14.07.2022, as follows: In connection with the request submitted, we inform you that the Minas Gerais Military Police, represented in this note by the First Battalion guarding the site of the event, clarifies that the practice of this unit to send police garrisons to any type of popular demonstration that is carried out for the purpose of ensuring security present and ensure the full exercise of constitutional law.

In this case, having completed the main task of the PMMG, the garrison returned to the imaginary patrol, without any further complications during the demonstration.

PBH rules out intervention

The municipality of Belo Horizonte reported that a municipal security vehicle monitoring traffic “passed by this place to check if there were any obstructions to the traffic on the road. Seeing no need to intervene in this sense, the agents continued their usual patrols.

The site has also requested and is awaiting a response from OAB/MG about the episode.