Dozens murdered as police strike in eastern Brazil

2012-02-06 15:48:23 GMT+7 (ICT)

BAHIA, BRAZIL (BNO NEWS) -- Thousands of troops and elite federal police were deployed in the Brazilian state of Bahia on Sunday amid a significant increase in murders, lootings and assaults as police continue an illegal strike, authorities said.

About 10,000 of the state's 30,000 police officers went on strike earlier in the week to demand a 50 percent increase in wages and better bonuses as officers make just an average of $850 in many cases. A judge called the strike illegal on Thursday, issuing arrest warrants for several union leaders.

In the first four days after the police strike began, more than 50 people were murdered in the state, an increase of 117 percent. About 30 of the murders happened within a 24 hour period, according to the state-run Agencia Brasil.

Bahia governor Jacques Wagner, in a televised message carried by Al-Jazeera, spoke out against the strike. "A group of police using reprehensible methods, spreading fear among the population, caused disturbances in some parts of the state," he said.

At Wagner's request, President Dilma Rousseff has ordered approximately 2,000 soldiers and a contingent of 650 elite federal police to the state to restore order. Troops were seen patrolling the streets of Salvador, where scores of tourists have canceled their reservations in fear of the violence.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-06

you only have to know a bit about brazilian police culture to make a safe assumption of who carried out ,quite possibly, most of the murders.

and people think the bib are bad.