This collaborative study examines the control of demonstrations in Brazil, focusing on the capitals of the country’s five regions. Bringing together experts in social movements and protests along with specialists in policing and public security, the project examines a key issue in contemporary Brazilian democracy: the relationship between political protest and policies to control public order. The central working hypothesis is that, beginning in June 2013, new protest configurations on both the left and right, coupled with the shifting political landscapes under the Dilma Rousseff and Jair Bolsonaro administrations, have led to adaptations and innovations in policing, legal frameworks, and judicial systems, leading to lasting impacts on the practice of protest in Brazilian democracy. The study seeks to expand the analytical perspective to encompass the full range of strategies and tactics employed by various state actors, both at local and federal levels, involved in controlling protests. These actors include governments (executive and legislative branches), security forces (police and armed forces), and judicial institutions. The study aims to document and analyze: 1) the political process of protest control under the Dilma Rousseff and Jair Bolsonaro administrations; 2) the street-level interactions between police officers and protesters, with attention to processes of radicalization, polarization, as well as police selectivity and learning; 3) organizational processes of adaptation and innovation within police, legal, and judicial repertoires for addressing protests; and 4) the consequences of police and legal repression on the trajectories of activists and activism in Brazil.

Participants 

GPACE/UFRGS: Eduardo Georjão Fernandes, Fernanda Camargo
RESOCIE/UNB: Eduardo Georjão Fernandes, Bianca Chaves, Eduarda Almeida, Tainara Alves, Erykson Dyego Sarafim