Protest policing in Brazil: repertoires and models of policing during the cycle of protests of June 2013 in the city of Porto Alegre

Abstract

The work presents as theme the policing of protests in Brazil. Specifically, we question: What are the repertoires used by the police during the 2013 protest cycle? What model(s) of policing were put into action? The need for the study is justified by the absence of a consolidated field of studies in the country on protest policing; on the other hand, there are international studies dealing with this subject. Methodologically, we analyzed the case of protest policing in Porto Alegre during the cycle of protests of 2013. We analyzed news from Zero Hora and interviews with police officers. We identified the diversity of policing repertoires and the coexistence of two main policing models, which are guided by different criteria of value to be protected in the protest: one based on the defense of physical integrity of protesters and a second one based on the defense of patrimony.