Police Brutality In Brazil

Lamees Eltohami
Ms. Ritter
World Literature Honors
16 December 2016
Police Brutality: A Deadly Oxymoron When the word “police” is mentioned, it carries on polarizing connotations and images within people. For some, the police are seen as heroic, honorable, and righteous people who are willing to put themselves in dangerous situations to protect the rights of citizens. Though for others, perceptions of the police are quite the opposite; instead of a sense of protection, others feel that police are a source of fear and corruption. Unfortunately, in many countries around the world, many citizens face the latter with their country’s police force. Police brutality and abuse in countries like Egypt and Brazil is an issue of injustice as it often
Evidence of this is shown in a statistic from Amnesty from presents that “[in] Brazil...police in the state killed 580 people, 40% more than in 2013...the statistics reveal a clear pattern of excessive use of force, violence and impunity that taints public security institutions” (Brazil: Surge in Killings). Brazil’s increase of deaths by police is one of the numerous examples of the country’s police force negligence of the right to life. Another case of police violence in Brazil is seen with protestors where “a protest...in the state of Paraná against changes in the rules governing teachers’ social security benefits and retirement was met with unnecessary or excessive use of force by Military Police. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters”(Brazil 2015/2016). People protesting, no matter their views, should not be met violence arbitrarily which the police have failed to provide a reason according to this report of them using unnecessary force. Furthermore, a report from New York Times provides a more personal view of the police abuse in Brazil as it describes a mother who witnessed her son “Eduardo, 10, lying dead from a gunshot wound to the head, and she ran toward the police officer holding the gun...‘He told me, ‘Just as I killed your son, I can kill you, too,’ as he pointed his rifle at my head” (Romero and Barnes). Maria’s traumatizing experience reveals the
However, that excuse can so go so far; it must be noted that these are not prosperous countries with an accountable government, so there is a possibility that many officers can get away with unlawful killings and may not mean that excuse genuinely . In a world where police brutality has become a growing concern in many countries, now is the time to bring awareness to which can be done by participating in International Day Against Police Brutality, which every year on March 14th, either by participating in a nearby protest or even starting your own. There’s also the option to mail a letter the office International Criminal Police Organization in Washington D.C. , an organization that has coordinates with police forces around the world, to call for the organization take a more active and influential role in overlooking police forces in Egypt and Brazil as ev. In conclusion, police brutality is an issue of injustice in countries like Egypt and Brazil since it violates essential rights such the right to protest, to no cruel or unusual punishment, and the right to