Public prosecutors want to disband Mancha, Gaviões, and four other organized fan groups.

Fernando Porfírio _247 The Public Prosecutor's Office of São Paulo wants to dissolve six organized football fan groups, prohibit the use of clothing and accessories belonging to these groups, and ban members of these fan groups from attending stadiums, under penalty of a daily fine of R$ 1 for each identified fan.

Public prosecutor Roberto Senise Lisboa has asked the court to dissolve the fan groups Mancha Alviverde (Palmeiras), Gaviões da Fiel (Corinthians), Serponte and Jovem Amor Maior (Ponte Preta), and Guerreiros da Tribo and Fúria Independente (both from Guarani). He justified the request by alleging the groups' involvement in acts of violence.

In the legal actions, the prosecutor requests an injunction to prevent the fan groups and their members from attending sporting events throughout the country until the final judgment of the cases. Lisboa also calls for the dissolution of the organized fan groups to "guarantee public safety and peace."

According to the prosecutor, the actions aim to have the courts order a ban on associates, members, and members of organized fan groups from attending soccer stadiums, as well as the use of clothing, banners, and any accessories that identify the groups, under penalty of a daily fine of R$ 1 per identified member, in addition to their compulsory removal from the premises.

The public prosecutor is also seeking the suspension of the identified fans from stadiums and football events for a period of three years, as stipulated by the Fan Protection Statute, in addition to the dissolution of the association, with the consequent annulment of its registration as a legal entity.

Roberto Senise Lisboa claims that the Gaviões da Fiel and Mancha Alviverde fan groups clashed on March 25th, near the Cachoeirinha Bus Terminal in the northern part of the city, culminating in the death of two members of the Palmeiras fan group.

It also recalls that on August 29th of last year, the two organized fan groups had already been involved in a fight, resulting in the death of a Gaviões da Fiel supporter who, chased by members of Mancha Alviverde, threw himself into the Tietê River. His body was found days later.

"Furthermore, police incidents involving Gaviões da Fiel and Mancha Alviverde have become frequent, since in a good portion of football matches there are riots or acts of violence involving their members," argues the prosecutor.

Acts of violence involving organized fan groups of Campinas football teams also form the basis for the Public Prosecutor's actions. On March 16th, a supporter of Fúria Independente was assaulted after a confrontation between the fan groups on the avenue connecting the Guarani and Ponte Preta stadiums. A year earlier, the victim's brother was shot after a confrontation with the police during the derby between the two teams, valid for the Série B of the Campeonato Paulista.

"The fan groups involved in the confrontation are Serponte and Jovem Amor Maior, and Guerreiros da Tribo and Fúria Independente," according to the lawsuit, which also notes that "the physical confrontations are not limited to fans of other teams: the violence is also directed at the military police, since whenever they intervene to stop the ongoing aggressions and riots, they are violently attacked and become the target of further aggression perpetrated by members of the organized fan groups."

According to the prosecutor, "there has been a departure from the social and sporting purpose" of the six fan groups. The lawsuits state that "instead of promoting love and interest in the sport, the organized fan groups have begun to commit acts of violence against property and members of other organized fan groups, as well as fans of other teams."

"Violence, instead of sport, has become the motto of these organized fan groups, disguising themselves as associations with legitimate purposes, but instead promoting illegal acts, constituting a true gang or band of criminals," argues the Public Prosecutor's Office, based on police reports and incident reports from the Military Police that show that acts of violence, riots, fights, and other criminal offenses involving members of organized fan groups have become frequent.