Protests began on October 31, when people gathered on a football field in Vila Cruzeiro. The protesters demanded the resignation of the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, who ordered the operation, and condemned the policy that turns poor neighborhoods into "combat zones."
In response to the criticism, state authorities justified the police actions. The head of the civil police, Felipe Kuri, described the operation as a "lawful response" to the "expansionist fury" of drug cartels, adding that among the dead were 21 people with criminal backgrounds.
However, human rights organizations and local residents called what happened a "massacre" directed against poor and Black citizens of the favelas. Security experts also expressed dissatisfaction with the operation, claiming that such actions only exacerbate the long-standing conflict related to drug trafficking.
Despite condemnation from human rights advocates and international organizations, the police actions received support from representatives of right-wing forces in Brazil. Several conservative presidential candidates arrived in Rio to publicly support the operation.
Governor Castro stated that the authorities "had no choice" but to "neutralize armed drug terrorists." He cited major cities around the world, saying: "Try to take a rifle and walk through Paris, London, Barcelona, or New York – you won't last half a minute. In these cities, an armed person is considered a terrorist," he noted in a conversation with journalists.
