page_title: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
section_title: Student unions
hierarchical_section_title: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro / Students / Student unions
caption_attribution_description: Prédio da antiga Faculdade Nacional de Medicina da Universidade do Brasil, atual UFRJ.
context_page_description: The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro or University of Brazil is a public university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFRJ is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and research. In terms of scientific, artistic and cultural productions it is recognized nationally and internationally due to the great teachers, researchers, reviews and assessments made by international agencies. In 2017 QS World University Rankings ranked UFRJ as the best Brazilian federal university, as well as the third best university in the country occupying the seventh position among institutions of Latin America. In 2016 and 2017 the Ranking Universitário Folha ranked UFRJ as the best university in Brazil and the best Federal University in the country. The Center for World University Rankings published in 2017 UFRJ as the second best university in the world in Zoology field.
  Brazil's first official higher education institution, it has operated continuously since 1792, when the "Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho" was founded, and served as basis for the country's college system since its officialization in 1920.
context_section_description: Students are formally represented by the "Diretório Central dos Estudantes Mário Prata" (Mário Prata Central Student Directory, or DCE), which was founded in 1930 - preceding even the National Student Union (UNE, 1937). The entity remained influential until its shutdown by the military regime of 1964–85, when dozens of union leaders, including student and then-president of DCE Mario de Souza Prata, were murdered. In the late-1970s, given a gradual political opening, academic centers such as the DCE were given permission to function once again. Among the students that participated in the DCE's reactivation are Mário Furley Schimidt and some member of popular Brazilian comedy show Casseta & Planeta, like Marcelo Madureira, Beto Silva and Hélio de la Peña.
  Besides the DCE, minor academic centers (CAs) act as students representative organs for each course: the Carlos Chagas Academic Center for the College of Medicine, the Polytechnic School Academic Center of Engineering, the Cândido de Oliveira Academic Center for the College of Law Studies, the Max Planck Academic Center for the Institute of Physics and the Academic Directory for the School of Chemistry, to cite the most notable.
  The infamous episode known as "Massacre da Praia Vermelha" (Red Beach Massacre) was a hallmark the history of Brazilian student unions. At dawn of September 23, 1968, squads from the military government invading the old facility of then-National College of Medicine and savagely beat all students sheltered there. There was also massive depredation of public patrimony, as the action disenabled several of the College's laboratories and administrative sectors. Around 600 students were gathered to protest against the government's arbitrary and oppressive actions (ex.: the shutdown of DCE and UNE, the increase in meal prices) and to vindicate the release of Law student Rodrigo Lima, arrested for 35 days in the "Batalhão de Guardas do Exército" (Army Squad Battalion).
caption: Building in which the College of Medicine operated until 1973, at "Praia Vermelha" (Red Beach).
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