Street vendors in Belém claim the city hall expelled them violently to 'clean' the streets ahead of COP30, set for November 10-21. Displays were destroyed and goods seized during Círio de Nazaré week. The municipal administration states it will act against illegal public space occupations.
The controversy arose in the first half of October 2025, during the Círio de Nazaré festivities, when municipal guards conducted an operation at Praça Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré in downtown Belém. At least 15 street vendors, part of a group of over 100 workers from Ceará who have come for more than 10 years to sell religious items, were targeted. Videos recorded by the sellers show agents breaking displays and seizing goods, such as keychains, shrines, and crucifixes.
Francisco Jocélio, one of those affected, recounted: 'They arrived breaking everything and I begged them to seize and take it, but not break my merchandise, but we saw them breaking it with gusto and throwing what was left into the car'. He estimates losses over R$ 10,000, including destroyed materials and lost sales, and blames the incident on COP30 preparations: 'In 10 years working there, we never went through this. It was definitely because of that'.
Many workers returned to Ceará a week earlier than planned, fearing reprisals, while others moved to the opposite sidewalk. Francisco Antônio, 57 years old and 45 as a vendor, criticized: 'Violence only attracts violence. Many workers are elderly and could fall ill in such a situation and even die'.
Local sellers, like 31-year-old Lucas Vinícius de Souza, witnessed the operation and heard inspectors mention banning vendors from tourist spots during the conference. 'The inspectors themselves said at the time that no vendor will remain, neither here nor at any tourist spot like Ver-o-Peso and Doca, when COP arrives', he said.
Belém City Hall did not respond on damages but issued a statement saying vendors must register with Sedcon and pay fees to operate legally. 'Those who insist on the illegal practice of occupying public space, without legal permission from Belém City Hall, will be removed', the administration declared. The case echoes a recent MPF complaint against the prefecture's 'hygienist' measures toward homeless people.