Public statement :: Olympics and Democracy
Conectas condemns censorship of protests during the Olympic Games
05 de Junho de 2016 - Força Nacional de Seguranca assume a segurança das áreas de competições dos jogos Rio 2016. Foto: Roberto Castro/ME
Conectas strongly condemns the decision of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee to censure spectators who, during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, exercise their right to freedom of expression.
In the days following the official opening of the Rio Olympics, the press reported several cases of spectators who were censored or removed from the venues by security guards after peacefully protesting against Brazil’s acting president.
The Committee bases these actions on the so-called General Law of the Olympics (Law No. 13,284) and “clean arena” policy. According to its representatives, this policy protects the interests of the companies that have invested money to have their image associated with the Games.
Contrary to this claim, there is nothing to support the position of the Organizing Committee. The Brazilian Constitution is clear in its protection of the right to freedom of speech.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office, in a case to protect the right to protest at the Olympics, stated that “the conduct of the security guards preventing the display of slogans and even removing citizens who display them is extremely authoritarian, illegal and unconstitutional”.
The Judiciary accepted the case and granted an injunction permitting peaceful political protests at official Rio 2016 Olympic venues.
Conectas regrets, however, that the Rio 2016 Committee insists on appealing the decision and condemns the suppression of rights at major international events. Freedom of expression came at a high cost for Brazilian society and for those who fought for the redemocratization of the country and we need to respond decisively every time it is threatened.
