Striking Brazilian Officers Vacate State Building, Vow to Continue Strike
The Brazilian police officers who went on strike on Jan. 31 have left the legislative building where they had been since the strike started, but insist that they will continue to strike until their demands are met.
More than 200 military police had been in a stand-off with troops and federal police who surrounded the building in the Bahia state capital of Salvador.
The officers who had been inside the state assembly began exiting the building on Thursday. A lawyer for the striking workers told local newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, that the officers decided to leave the building due to worsening conditions and scarce supplies.
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Electricity and water for the building had been cut off shortly after the building was occupied.
Marco Prisco, who is believed to be the individual responsible for organizing the strike as well as another officer were arrested, according to the BBC.
They have been accused of causing the strike while also allowing and encouraging other officers to strike and commit vandalism.
When the officers went on strike there was a surge in violent criminal activity. Robberies and looting soared in the past ten days as police were not around to respond.
Murders also saw a dramatic spike in one of Brazil's more violent regions. There was a reported 137 murders during the strike.
With the increase in violence also came concerns that the country's largest festival, Carnival, would be canceled due to lack of security.
Some local businesses had already seen a negative impact. Pedro Galvao, head of the state's travel agents association understands the very real consequences that are possible. "It's very disconcerting…tourism is very sensitive to these things," he said.
The Brazilian Association of Tourism Agencies stated that 10 percent of tourists who were planning to attend the festivities have already canceled their reservations, according to AP.
