A Área é Nossa!

Inside the gated walls of Condominium Itambé reside over 1200 dwellers, making it one of the largest residences in the city of Florianopolis. Decades ago the citizens of Itambé constructed a leisure area behind the buildings that comprise of a BBQ pit, a party room as well as volleyball, basketball and soccer courts. Not to mention this area served as an alternative exit and convenient passageway to both the shopping mall and bus station. Despite these modifications and sense of entitlement, legally, the area continued to be owned by a construction firm who since the 1990's had been relentlessly attempting to regain the area in question through litigation. The construction firm wanted to do what construction firms do best; Construct.
In May, a month after I moved into Itambé it appeared as if the construction firm had managed to win it's 20-year court battle. The construction company immediately placed their own stooge at the gate just to show the tenants who was boss. The tenants responded by hiring a lawyer because of the devaluation the ensuing takeover would inflict upon their properties.
This situation came to a head last week when covertly at the break of dawn the construction company obstructed the gate with an impenetrable barricade. The tenants transformed from indignant to furious. The police and local media were called and the residents began a vehement protest. There is only 3 meters of space between the wall that separates my room and the leisure area. The company quickly posted a baker's dozen worth of guards and began the hasty construction of a stone-henge resembling structure in the middle of the soccer pitch.
I participated in the non-violent resistance movement against the placement of the guards by walking around my apartment in the buff. However, once I discovered that children and other residents were scurrying around the area between my window and the wall as well, I decided to conclude my buck naked silent-protest.
My English lesson was interrupted Monday night because of jubilant cheering and triumphant woo-hooing. I ran out of my apartment just in time to witness the residents smashing the Berlin wall of Brazil to pieces. The guards had left. The court had decided the company was illegally occupying the area. The judge returned the area to the tenants and as soon as it had started it was over. The residents of the condominium rejoiced hand-in-hand and and chanted "Kumbaya My Lord" only to a percussive samba rhythm.
(Just kidding no samba) but they did celebrate their victory by chanting "The area is ours! The area is ours!" only it was in Portuguese so unless I was there to translate you probably wouldn't have understood that. There were passionate speeches that followed and smiling faces in the crowd. Score one for the little guys.