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Latest News
  • [ December 4, 2025 ] Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing #HousingWatch
  • [ November 30, 2025 ] The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel by Community Contributors
  • [ November 15, 2025 ] ‘There’s No Such Thing as Normal After a Massacre’: One Week After Police Mega-Operation Kills 121 People, Residents From Complexos do Alemão and Penha Speak Out #UPPWatch
  • [ November 13, 2025 ] ‘Human Beings Forget That They Are Nature’: Favelas Teach the Path to the Future at the 2nd Favela Sustainability Festival Civil Society
  • [ November 12, 2025 ] Food Sovereignty and Culinary Heritage Connect with Fight for Climate Justice at the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival Civil Society
HomePolice Brutality

Police Brutality

According to one of the recent poll, 87% of Rio's favelas residents supposedly support the police operation that led to the deadliest massacre in Rio de Janeiro's History. Nevertheless, nation-wide favela-led post-massacre protests have shown otherwise. The sign reads 'Resident, Not a Criminal.' Photo: Vinícius Ribeiro
#MediaWatch

Why the Pre-Electoral Opinion Polling Published Following Rio de Janeiro’s ‘Mega Police Operation’ Is Misleading

By Scott Salmon • November 7, 2025

Clique aqui para Português On Tuesday, October 28, Brazil’s deadliest police operation resulted in over 120 people dead, leaving bodies behind wherever they fell, strewn for neighbors and families to retrieve, in the Alemão and […]

*Highlight

Sustainable Favela Network International Exchange, Part 2: Pandemic Organizing in 5 Nations

By Gabriela Buffon Vargas • September 13, 2021

Clique aqui para Português This is the second of two articles covering the events of the 1st Sustainable Favela Network International Exchange, which took place online on August 28, 2021. Read the first part here. Continuing […]

#ParticipationWatch

At First International Favela Exchange, Communities from Five Nations Show How To Implement Climate Justice

By Julia Rosselli • September 12, 2021

Clique aqui para Português This is the first of two articles covering the events of the 1st Sustainable Favela Network International Exchange, which took place online on August 28, 2021. Read the second part here. […]

urgent
#CommunityMedia

Military Police Break Cell Phone of Voz das Comunidades Team During Operation in Alemão

By Melissa Cannabrava • Translation by Ikrom Alajoulin • January 13, 2021

Clique aqui para Português An intense shootout in Complexo do Alemão, in the area known as Area 5, frightens residents, who reported shots since 8am this Wednesday (January 13). The police armored vehicle (caveirão) headed […]

Man wearing a white mask with a favela as background. Photo by: Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
#CommunityMedia

Best and Worst International Reporting on Rio’s Favelas: 2020 [EDITORIAL]

By RioOnWatch Editorial • January 6, 2021

Clique aqui para Português This is the latest contribution to our media watchdog series on the Best and Worst International Reporting on Rio’s favelas, part of RioOnWatch’s ongoing conversation on the media narrative and media portrayal surrounding favelas. The coronavirus […]

Posts pagination

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RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

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Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
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    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
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