State Police Arrest Health Professionals After Protest Over Coronavirus in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ten health professionals were conducted to the police station by the Rio de Janeiro State Police on Saturday morning, May 23rd, after protesting for measures against the novel coronavirus pandemic at a toll plaza on the Yellow Line, one of the main highways in Rio’s northern zone.

The demonstration, organized by the ‘Nenhum Serviço de Saúde a Menos’ (No Health Service Less) group, lasted approximately 15 minutes and involved rolling out two 10-meter long banners and a dummy of President Jair Bolsonaro wearing a mask.

The banners contained the words “General quarantine to prevent illness. Minimum income to survive. Beds for all not to die” and “Bolsonaro, Out”.

The demonstrators said they were observing their distance and following the instructions of police and employees of the Lamsa concessionaire, Yellow Line administrator, while respecting their request for the group to move to the shoulder.

“When we were packing up to leave, a police officer approached one of the demonstrators and said that she would need to be escorted to the police station on the order of the battalion commander. They didn’t provide a reason. We said we weren’t going to allow her to be taken like that, so they eventually took everyone,” says doctor Gustavo Treistman.

According to him, the group was then escorted to the group’s two cars and all drove to the 26th Police Station. Once there, two people were fined: Maria Lúcia Pádua, from the FENASP (National Federation of Health Workers Unions), and Carlos Vasconcellos, from the SINMED (Rio Doctors Union).

The police officers reported that the fines were based on Governor Wilson Witzel’s decree banning crowds in the State because of the pandemic, a violation for 3

“We were outraged. The government allows crowds in the streets, public transports are crowded, there are plants in operation, the waterfront is full, but they prevent a protest by health professionals calling for measures against the pandemic. They’re not concerned with avoiding crowds, but rather with intimidation,” Treistman says.

In a video recorded outside the police station, Maria Lúcia Pádua also criticized the arrest. “Surprisingly, health workers all over the world are applauded and here in Brazil we are arrested,” she said.

Questioned, the State Police reported only that teams from the Expressway Police (BPVE) and Special Rounds and Crowd Control (RECOM) battalions were deployed to monitor a protest at the Yellow Line toll plaza.

“Once on the scene, the police officers directed the group and cleared the highway. Two demonstrators were conducted to the 26th Police Station (Todos os Santos) to record the facts,” wrote the police, though failing to state the reason for the action.

The protest called for four points: the imposition of total quarantine in Rio, with guaranteed income for impoverished families; the opening of unused public beds and the requisition of private beds; adequate personal protection equipment for professionals; and opposition to the Bolsonaro government.

Rio de Janeiro is ranked third in the number of cases and second in the number of Covid-19 deaths in the country – up to Friday, May 22nd, there were a total of 33,589 cases and 3,657 confirmed deaths. Last Tuesday, May 19th, the state had 90 percent of its 583 ICU beds occupied and 335 people waiting for transfer to a public intensive care unit.

Source: Folhapress