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The military police  launched a blitz operation at the University of São Paulo (USP) after approaching three students smoking marijuana Thursday night (October 27, 2011) at the School Philosophy, Languages and Humanities (FFLCH). Dozens of police cars surrounded one of the school's buildings, where hundreds of people were protesting the incarceration of students caught smoking marijuana, an illegal drug in Brazil.

According to Lieutenant Luiz Henrique Salles, the students obstructed the police as they attempted to take the three individuals to the police district where the crime was to be registered. The school rector, Professor Sandra Nitrini, attempted to mediate the situation and offered to accompany the students to the police station, but she was reprehended by the protesters who feared administrative measures would be taken against the students found in possession of the drug.

USP students ask military police to withdraw from the campus. Photo by the author.

More security, less repression

The police's actions on the public university's campus, which involved the use of smoke bombs and truncheons, have divided the academic community. A few hours after the confusion broke out at the FFLCH, many people demonstrated both for and against police action on the university campus.

On Twitter, Samuel Gerez (@samuelgerez) supported the actions of the military police (PM):

Hj a PM esta na historia usp. 15 viaturas e 8 motos. Querem prender maconheiros. Eu acho certo.

Journalism student Andrea Wirkus (@andrea_wk) preferred to question the public security that the military police have been providing at the university, which was stepped up after student Felipe Ramos de Paiva, age 24, was killed in the parking lot at one of the USP schools in May 2011.

Não que eu seja contra ou a favor da PM na USP, mas os policiais perdem mais tempo revistando alunos do que protegendo…

An increase in violence on the USP campus, which is located in the Butantã neighborhood, has raised concerns among the academic community, but the police presence is not an isolated occurrence. Prior to Felipe's death, the military police intervened minimally, especially on account of heavy resistance by students, professors and university employees who fear the kind of repression that occurred yesterday.

The rector of the University of São Paulo's School of Geography, Professor André Martin, is one of the professors who does not believe that the police are effectively providing [better] campus security. Martin says “the military police do not understand the nature of the agreement” with the university:

O meu ponto de vista é a tragédia anunciada, porque, a partir do momento que se decidiu isso [presença da polícia no campus], esse episódio já estava previsto, porque a polícia militar vai imaginar que deve ter um comportamento, na cidade universitária, idêntico ao que tem na cidade como um todo.

Há um protocolo que coloca a polícia militar no campus para proteger a comunidade universitária contra assaltos, contra crimes. Segundo esse protocolo, não está prevista a abordagem para a repressão à droga. Este é o ponto do tumulto. Os policiais alegam que, no caso de flagrado o uso de entorpecentes, eles não podem se omitir, porque isso seria crime de prevaricação.

On Twitter, professor, sociologist and journalist Laurindo Leal (@Lalolealfilho) questions police intervention on campus, referring to the police repression in the case of a person caught using marijuana to denounce the supposed intent of the military police on the campus.

Alguém tinha dúvida de que a volta da PM ao campus da USP era para reprimir estudantes? Anotem: os próximos serão funcionários e professores.

Many professors participated alongside the students in the protests against the police actions taken against the student found using marijuana. Professor Marlene Suano of the Department of History was one of the professors who tried to calm the police and students in the midst of the altercations. She ended up being struck by a police officer who was reacting to provocations by a student.

O aluno estava agredindo o policial, que levantou o cassetete para se defender e eu me coloquei na frente. Ele (o aluno) queria sangue. O que fazer com um policial desses?

The conspicuous presence of the military police on the campus reminds us of the “lead years,” the time in which Brazil faced a coup d'état that limited civil rights and violently repressed all opposition movements, including those that took place at the universities. Given this, the military's actions on campus are facing strong opposition from the academic community, as demonstrated by social scientist Stênio Soares on the blog Cálice:

Se por um lado ainda temos fresca a memória da atuação dos militares nas universidades brasileiras durante o regime autoritário (1964-1985), temos um presente pleno de desigualdade socio-econômica. Alguém poderia me citar qual a atuação da excelentíssima Universidade de São Paulo diante desse problema? Não vale falar qual é o compromisso, afinal sabemos bem. Mas quais são as relações que a USP estabelece, por exemplo, com as comunidades pobres que lhe margeia? Não poupem as repostas, vamos tocar direto na ferida. Se a criminalidade associada a má distribuição de renda chega ao berço da classe média paulistana, também temos uma quantidade relativa de estudantes que lutam pela liberdade de comportamento e questionamento (afinal, são acadêmicos que ali frequentam). Se a universidade prioriza soluções racionais para resolver seus problemas, porque a necessidade de buscar uma força autoritária, cuja educação profissional e histórica está atrelada à violência e à opressão?

The university is a space for dialogue and knowledge building, principles that do not go well with the idea of public security based on the exclusive use of force that has historically guided police actions on and off campus.

Amidst the commotion between the students and the police, Professor Ana Fani, from the School of Geography, made a request that actually should apply to anyone's presence on the university campus.  “I am asking that the police withdraw and let us continue with our professional duties, allowing us to take the students inside so that we can calmly and tranquilly continue with our tasks. Nothing tragic happened; there are no terrorists here; we just want to have classes.”