From 1964 to 1974, I lived in and served in Brazil as a missionary of the United Methodist Church. Just a bit more than two months after I arrived, the Brazilian army overthrew the elected government and established a military dictatorship that was to last for 21 years.
That government, put in power by the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency, receiving millions of dollars in military assistance from the United States, established a police state that used torture, disappearances, censorship and murder to stay in power throughout all those years.
Twenty-nine years ago, I was kidnapped by those in the Brazilian military and spent 17 days in their torture chambers before being expelled from the country because of my close relationship with the Roman Catholic archbishop of Recife, Dom Helder Câmara.
Last week, I was in Miami to lead a teach-in for faith-based organizations on the meaning of the Free Trade Area of the Americas and how people of faith should respond to it. While in Miami, I was literally horrified at the overwhelming and intimidating presence of the police. Bringing in troops from more than 40 local police forces throughout Florida, wearing their new goodies of high-tech riot gear, paid for by Homeland Security to the tune of $8.5 million of our tax dollars, the police were everywhere and were aggressive and threatening in their manner and word.
On Nov. 19, I took part in a press conference at which representatives of a significant number of faith communities -- Protestant, Catholic and Jewish -- expressed their concern over the presence and attitude of the police. Without commenting on the FTAA, we said that American citizens have the constitutional right to express their opinions, and that the police in Miami were clearly taking sides and regarding the protesters as "enemies," rather than as citizens expressing themselves.
My son, Erick, 23, a graduate student at Florida International University, decided to join the parade of protest on Nov. 20, along with 20,000 others. The parade was very peaceful until the very end, when the police literally attacked some of the marchers, many of them elderly retirees, with rubber bullets, gas and batons, and ended up arresting about 200. There had been virtually no violence up until then. But these folks were accused of "unlawful assembly" for taking part in a parade that had all of the legal permits and was following the designated parade route.
On Nov. 21, Erick joined about a hundred other folks to protest the arrest of those other marchers outside the Miami jail. Standing on a public sidewalk in front of a public building, they chanted, "Let them go." There was no violence at all -- until the police demanded that they disperse, which they did, as is clearly documented by the TV helicopters that flew overhead. But as they were leaving, the police suddenly blocked their exit and began firing rubber bullets again.
Erick was knocked to the ground by two police officers, and his hands were cuffed behind his back. He was thrown into a police van with about 20 other people and left there for nearly five hours, after which he was taken to jail. He spent more than 13 hours with his hands cuffed behind his back, without any food or water. His sister, a Miami attorney, went to the jail early Saturday morning to bail him out, but it was after 10 p.m. before she succeeded. Erick was then required to return on Sunday at 9 a.m., where he waited until after 2 p.m. to have his case processed.
He was accused of "unlawful assembly" and "resisting an officer." (He has three witnesses who will testify in court that Erick offered no resistance.) He pleaded not guilty and now is awaiting trial, after having paid bail.
This whole matter is scary -- even terrifying. Having lived under a military regime for 11 years of my life, and suffered grave violence at their hands myself, it seems too much like déjà vu all over again.
Some questions: Why does the federal government think it necessary to give the Miami police $8.5 million to "guarantee" the FTAA? Why is our government afraid of citizens who gather in a peaceful manner to express their opinions? Why do the Miami police think that their operation was a "model" for other cities, when what they did was violate the Bill of Rights of all of us? But if we all don't stand up now and say "Basta!" ("Enough!"), it will cost all of us a lot more with the loss of our freedom.
The Rev. Fred Morris is the executive director of the Florida Council of Churches. He wrote this for the Orlando Sentinel, 633 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801.
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