Greenpeace Activists Dump Black Paint at Planalto Entrance, Simulating Oil Slicks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Greenpeace environmental activists dumped black paint at the entrance to the Palácio do Planalto, in Brasília, on Wednesday morning, October 23rd. The action mimics the oil slicks that have affected the northeastern coast since September.

Around 10:30 AM, 19 demonstrators were arrested. The group was taken to the police station after DF Legal – the local government inspection agency- cited the organizers for irregular disposal of garbage in a public area. The activists were released at 1 PM.

Dressed in black, the group raised banners criticizing the “sluggishness” of the federal government in containing the slicks on the beaches. The demonstrators placed barrels in front of the President’s headquarters – mimicking oil containers – and spread sand on a blue canvas to represent the sea. They then dumped a black liquid, a mixture of oil and paint.

In a note, the Presidency stated that it would not comment on the action. The Ministry of the Environment told G1 that there was ” destruction of public property’.

The protest

Approximately 20 people took part in the demonstration. The NGO’s climate and energy spokesman, Tiago Almeida, states that the goal is “to draw the attention of authorities and the population to the significance of the responsible management of environmental resources”.

“The government needs to effectively and correctly implement the National Contingency Plan, fight this oil and protect the populations that are being affected,” he said. “People are putting their own health at risk.”

The group arrived around 8:00 AM and set up a big screen near Praça dos Três Poderes, Brasília’s main public square. They waited for the flag to be raised, which takes place every day in front of the government headquarters, to launch the action.

On-site, images showed the deforestation and fires afflicting the Amazon. The photos alternated with statements such as “Brazil smeared with oil” and ” Brazil burnt homeland”.

The demonstrators also stacked up tree branches left over from fires in the Amazon. The trunks were tied to the fences of the Palácio do Planalto.

Presidential security guards tried to prevent the setup but failed.

Environmental crime?

After the action, the Secretariat for the Protection of Town Planning was called in to gauge the space taken up by the installation set up by the activists. To G1 reporters, the DF Legal technical team advised that Greenpeace should be held accountable for “irregular disposal of waste in a public area”.

The preliminary measurement showed that the area set up on Wednesday by the activists took up 4.30 square meters. The fine to be charged is still to be determined and should take into account the amount and type of waste.

According to the State Police, teams will examine the types of materials used in the protest. “First, there was obstruction of the road, this is a traffic crime issue and that material, that liquid that was released, that we don’t know what it is,” said Lieutenant Faleiros, who took part in the approach.

According to DF Legal, if the liquid is found to be toxic, the group may be held accountable for environmental crime. Tica Minami, Greenpeace Brazil’s campaign director, says, however, that all the material used is organic.

“The liquid is a combination of almond oil and cornstarch. It is not toxic. The action symbolizes the clear destruction of environmental heritage and we leave it there as a reminder that the government must act. It wouldn’t make any sense to take it away later,” he argues.

The demonstrators taken to the police station did not wish to speak to the press. The lawyer who represents the group, Bernardo Fenelon, said that the activists did not oppose the police command. “There was no abuse or any kind of coercion”.

Source: G1