Entities linked to journalism repudiated, in a statement this Wednesday (24), an episode of violence suffered by journalist Manuela Borges, from Portal ICL Notícias, in the Green Room of the Chamber of Deputies, in Brasília, on Tuesday afternoon (23). 
The entities considered the episode “unacceptable and absurd” and pointed out that there had been “serious violence” and “coercion” by professionals who were performing their duties within a legislative House.
The document is signed by the Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District (SJPDF), the Collective of Women Journalists of the DF, the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) and the FENAJ Women Journalists Commission.
Yesterday, Manuela Borges was surrounded and intimidated by a group of around 20 employees from parliamentarians’ offices. The violence occurred after she questioned PL parliamentarians about the installation of billboards in the Federal District with images of former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro and federal deputy, Bia Kicis (PL-DF).
She covered a press interview with parliamentarians opposing the federal government in which advisors were present and also people filming without accreditation. After asking the question about the billboards in the Federal District, Manuela began to be harassed. She says that supporters of the politicians started putting their cell phones very close to her face and there were shouts in an intimidating tone.
“Our role is to ask questions. It hurts whoever it hurts. We cannot suffer violence because of this”, said the journalist in an interview with Agência Brasil.
Gender violence
For the entities, the aggressive siege against a female journalist aims to silence questions and weaken the female presence in spaces of power.
“Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of democracy and cannot be curtailed by methods of physical and psychological coercion practiced by public servants paid with society’s money,” highlighted the note.
For professional representatives, the violence goes beyond the individual attack on the professional, and constitutes a frontal attack against the category of journalists, against the profession and against journalism itself.
The entities also stated that the Legislative Police, who were present at the scene, did not interfere in any way to guarantee the integrity of the journalist during the episode.
Accountability
In the note, the representatives of the category ask the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies to immediately and rigorously investigate the case and demand the “administrative and legal accountability of all civil servants and parliamentarians involved in the violence against the journalist”.
The entities still want security measures that “guarantee the free exercise of their profession by journalists in all premises of the National Congress”. The representatives of the category will make a formal representation to the Presidency of the Chamber, with images and videos that help in identifying the attackers.
According to the entities, the attackers included people with badges from parliamentary offices, as well as political activists.
Despite this episode of violence, journalist Manuela Borges said that she will not be intimidated and that she intends to continue covering the Chamber of Deputies normally, as she has done for over 20 years. In 2014, she was also offended by then federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro after asking questions about the 1964 coup.
The report from Brazil Agency sought a position from the Liberal Party and the presidency of the Chamber on the episode, which have not yet commented. The space is open for manifestation.
