BRAZIL: Striking policemen in northern Brazil abandon a government building they have occupied since last week

Record ID: 340726

  • Title: BRAZIL: Striking policemen in northern Brazil abandon a government building they have occupied since last week
  • Date: 10th February 2012
  • Summary: SALVADOR, BAHIA, BRAZIL (FEBRUARY 9, 2012) (REUTERS) VIEW OF MOON IN NIGHT SKY VARIOUS OF HELICOPTERS STRIKING POLICE AT ENTRANCE OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY WHICH THEY HAVE OCCUPIED SINCE LAST WEEK MORE OF STRIKING POLICE MEN AND THEIR SUPPORTERS INSIDE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY LAW OF STRIKE LEADER MARCO PRISCO SURROUNDED BY REPORTERS ARMY COLONEL MARCIO CUNHA GATHERED NEA
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil, Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7YU8ETKGGNKW8NF85CPLJA2LZ
  • Story Text: Striking policemen in the northern Brazilian city of Salvador on Thursday (February 9) peacefully abandoned a government building they had occupied for the past week, although it remained unclear if their strike calling for higher pay was over.
    Some 300 striking police officers had occupied Salvador's legislative assembly building since last week and there had been skirmishes in recent days between the occupiers and the Brazilian military who had surrounded the building in a bid to end the occupation.
    Army Colonel Marcio Cunha said the occupation was ended after two leaders of the striking policemen and had surrendered to authorities from inside the building.
    "Marco Prisco and Antonio Angelim, the two men who had arrest warrants issued against them have been arrested by the military police and by the federal police and they have been driven to the installations of the military police in Salvador where they will remain under at the disposition of justice," Cunha told reporters.
    Military officials said that Prisco and Angelim surrendered shortly 6 am local time and the occupation was ended shortly afterwards at 730 am.
    Almost one third of the state of Bahia's police force have been on strike since January 31st and as a result, violent crime in Salvador, Brazil's third city, has skyrocketed since, with local officials reporting at least 115 murders and widespread looting, assaults and vandalism in the past week.
    In response, Brazil deployed more than 3,500 soldiers in an attempt to return order to the state.
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