RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The government of Ceará has suspended for 120 days 167 state police officers (PM) who are being investigated for taking part in the protest for salary readjustment that paralyzed part of the PMs’ operations in the state. They will be required to turn in their badges, weapons, handcuffs and any device identifying the unit to which they belong, in addition to being taken off the payroll for the period.
Since Tuesday night, February 18th, at least ten State Police headquarters have been taken over by police officers who do not agree with the government’s wage readjustment offer.
Vehicles and motorcycles had their tires punctured or deflated and the government of Ceará was forced to request federal assistance, which sent men from the National Force and the Army to help to patrol Fortaleza and its main metropolitan area.
Since dawn on Wednesday, 19th, 88 homicides have occurred throughout Ceará, according to data from the Secretariat of Public Safety and Social Defense. On Friday alone, February 21st, there were 37 violent deaths – on Wednesday there were 29 and another 22 on Thursday.
There were 261 homicides in the whole month of January, an average of just over eight per day. In February 2019 there were 164 homicides throughout the month, an average of fewer than six per day.
A military inquiry was opened against those investigated, who may be imprisoned for taking part in the mutiny – the federal Constitution bans state police from striking. On Monday, February 17th, a Ceará court had determined that no protests could be held.
On Tuesday, the government submitted a bill to the Legislative Assembly increasing the monthly remuneration of PM and Fire Department personnel from R$3,400 to R$4,500, in three installments (payments in March 2020, March 2021 and March 2022). A part of the officers disagreed and the strike started that same night.
The governor of Ceará, Camilo Santana (PT), said it is out of the question to grant amnesty to officers identified as having participated in the mutiny. On Wednesday, the protests became national news after Senator Cid Gomes was shot twice trying to drive a backhoe into the barracks in Sobral (270 km from Fortaleza), his electoral base. He is still hospitalized, but not at risk of death.