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Almost 24 hours after the first acts of vandalism that were replicated throughout the city on Wednesday night, September 9, began in front of the Villaluz CAI, in western Bogotá, several questions about the chaotic journey.
(Follow live: There are new protests against the Police in various parts of Bogotá)
These questions cover both the origin of the acts of violence that followed the protests over the death of lawyer Javier Ordóñez and the means and scope of the reaction of the Public Force to the excesses.
1. Was there full control of the police reaction to acts of vandalism?
The very serious disorders on Wednesday night, which followed several peaceful protests in the case of police brutality that claimed the life of lawyer Ordóñez, left a balance of violence that had not been seen in the city at least since the great national strike in September from 1977.
Eight people killed and more than 170 wounded, many of them by gunshots, were the blood balance of several hours of chaos in the streets of the country’s capital. As it had not happened in the recent history of the country, the Police units were attacked by civilians. At least 12 Immediate Attention Centers (CAI) were set on fire, as well as public and private transport vehicles.
(Also read: ACAB What does this acronym that appeared in the protests mean?)
The reaction of the Police to the attack on many of its units was not clear. Esmad and other police forces were seen in the streets, deployed on foot and in motorcycles and vehicles, in heavy clashes with civilians. In videos recorded by citizens and the media, cases of excessive force were recorded, such as police hitting people who were already detained and immobilized. This is a very serious violation of human rights and the same Police procedure manuals.
Troops were also seen wearing their uniforms covered to prevent their last name and grade from being observed while confronting protesters. There were also images of motorists advancing down a street and stopped only to hit a person who they left abandoned on the site.
Although there was a Unified Command Post in the city, it is not clear if they are aware of those situations that occurred in the streets. In the midst of one of the most chaotic situations that the capital has experienced, the highest ranking officer in charge was the commander of the Traffic and Transportation Police.
(You may be interested: ‘With a stray bullet they killed my daughter’: Julieth Ramírez’s father)
Why were there police officers who fired their firearms?
As a rule of procedure, the Police cannot carry firearms in protest control operations. Mayor Claudia López assures that she expressly requested that this mandate be respected and that she was not attended to by the Police.
Although it could be argued that the situation was unprecedented, as the city had not seen scenes of CAI burned by the mob, and that to protect their lives the uniformed men could use their weapons, this reaction is not legal. The Police, especially the Esmad, is a body trained to withstand violent attacks without having to resort to the use of lethal weapons.
However, hundreds of videos circulating in the media and social networks saw police officers firing shots in the air. Only a judicial investigation will determine if some of those shots hit the 8 people who died and the 66 who were gunshot wounds on Wednesday. Mayor Claudia López accused the Police of shooting indiscriminately in the city and reported this action to the Attorney General.
(We recommend: Patrol officers linked to the Ordóñez case were removed from the Police)
3. Did the violent ones take advantage of the outrage against the excessive use of police force?
Ordóñez’s death generated a wave of indignation in the city and in the country, which was manifested in several protests in front of police units. But these legitimate demonstrations were later exploited by vandals who carried out looting and attacks against the Public Force.
Simultaneous attacks on police units and business premises were recorded for hours. The authorities point out that, as has been reported on other occasions, there was the presence of organized violent groups that take advantage of the demonstrations to perpetrate acts of vandalism for specific purposes. The Ministry of Defense has indicated that the protests were coordinated by social networks.
@JusticiaET
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