Entities defending journalists and associations of media outlets published notes condemning the episode of withdrawal and aggression against press professionals in the Chamber of Deputies, this Tuesday afternoon (9).
This afternoon, deputy Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) occupied the chair of the House presidency in protest after the president of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos -PB), announced that he would take the request for the deputy’s impeachment to the plenary. The parliamentarian was forcibly removed by agents of the Federal Legislative Police.
At this moment, the TV Câmara signal, which broadcast the plenary session live, was immediately cut off and journalists, photographers, cameramen and press officers were removed by the Legislative Police from the Chamber Plenary.
The National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) and the Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District (SJPDF) considered the restriction on the work of the press and the freedom and right to information of the Brazilian population to be “extremely serious”. The entities also cite serious episodes of physical attacks on press professionals and demand explanations from the President of the House.
“We cannot admit that authoritarian measures, which date back to those experienced in a not so distant period during the military dictatorship, are naturalized and repeated in our National Congress – which should be the House of the people and not of those who attack the population’s rights. We remain attentive and following the developments of this regrettable and absurd episode”, they criticized.
In another joint demonstration, the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert), the National Association of Newspapers (ANJ) and the National Association of Magazine Editors (Aner) also condemned the curtailment of press work.
“The impediment of journalists from working and the cutting of TV Câmara’s signal are incompatible with the exercise of press freedom”, says the note. The entities demanded “the determination of responsibilities so that such intimidation practices are not repeated and that the principles of the Brazilian Constitution are preserved, which explicitly prohibits censorship.”
Images and reports show brutal action by legislative police against reporters, cameramen and photographers who were trying to do their work. Some professionals needed medical attention due to attacks, which included pulling, elbowing and strong pushing.
The National Forum for the Democratization of Communication (FNDC) also criticized the episode.
“According to news published on the main news portals, TV Câmara had its signal cut at 5:34 pm, the same time that journalists began to be removed from the plenary. The images of the brutality, however, were recorded by other parliamentarians and other people who remained in the plenary and soon made their way onto the main news portals,” he said.
Hugo Motta
In a note on X, President Hugo Motta informed that he had ordered “the investigation of possible excesses in relation to press coverage”.
“We have to protect democracy from shouting, authoritarian gestures, intimidation disguised as a political act. Extremism tests democracy every day. And every day democracy needs to be defended. I also determined the investigation of possible excesses in relation to press coverage”, he stated.
Understand the case
Federal deputy Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) occupied the chair of the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, in the plenary of the House, on the afternoon of this Tuesday (9), and was forcibly removed by agents of the Federal Legislative Police.
The occupation began as a protest by the parliamentarian, after the president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), announced that he would take the deputy’s impeachment request to the plenary, together with the cases of Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) and Delegado Ramagem (PL-RJ), the last two condemned by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The cases are unrelated to each other.
In addition, Motta also guided the vote on the project to reduce the sentences of those involved in the coup plot.
“Let them rip me out of this chair and take me out of the plenary,” said the deputy.
Braga could lose his mandate for having kicked a member of the Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL) last year, after being provoked.
* Collaborated with Pedro Rafael Vilela
