In Brazil, fear of spreading police protests during Carnival

[Judi Lynn]

Diane Jeantet, Associated Press
Updated 1:10 pm CST, Saturday, February 22, 2020



Photo: Leo Correa, AP
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A reveler dressed in Spider-Man costume strikes a pose at the "Ceu na Terra" or Heaven on Earth street party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. From very early in the morning revelers take the streets of the bohemian neighborhood Santa Teresa for one of the many block parties during the Carnival celebrations in the city.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A violent police strike in northeastern Brazil has shed light on dissatisfaction among cops elsewhere in the country, with some forces threatening to protest as rowdy Carnival celebrations start.

The strike by military police demanding higher salaries in the state of Ceara, and which led to a senator being shot, is a headache for President Jair Bolsonaro, a staunch supporter of police forces who has pledged to curb violent crime.

“Of course, police strikes could spread,” said lawmaker Guilherme da Cunha of the state of Minas Gerais, where police obtained a 42 percent salary increase this year after threatening to strike. “From the moment people who have a monopoly on firearms discover the strength it has, there is a risk.”

In Ceara, violent crime has risen sharply during the police strike, with at least88 people killed overthree days, according to online news site G1, citing state officials. Bolsonaro has sent hundreds of national guard forces and 2,500 soldiers to maintain order.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/In-Brazil-fears-that-violent-police-strike-could-15076139.php#photo-19073694