Brazil: Rio Wears Red in Support of Firefighters · Global Voices
Saulo Valley

Since mid-April 2011, a movement started by a group of military firefighters from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, demanding better working conditions has been gaining increasing support.
Their frequent demonstrations [en] in front of Alerj (Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro), however, barely sensitized the governor Sergio Cabral for dialogue. Because they are considered military, their right to strike was called into question.
All the links in this post lead to Portuguese language pages, except when otherwise noted.
The category claims to receive the worst compensation in the country – in comparison with the same institution in other states – and requires a salary update, currently fixed at R $ 950.00, to $ 2,000.00. In the “Manifesto of Dignity“, published on April 14 on the blog SOS Guarda Vidas (SOS Lifeguard), four claims were noted:
Firefighters on strike in Rio de Janeiro – SOS Firefighters: worst salary in the country. Photo by Mariana Criola on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
(…) pela redução do número de parcelas do aumento proposto pelo governo: de 48 parcelas para 12!
( …) pela equiparação da gratificação dos guarda vidas ao Bope [Batalhão de Operações Especias] e Core [Coordenadoria de Recursos Especiais] (…)
A terceira reinvindicação é o auxílio transporte! (…)
A quarta reinvindicação é por melhores condições de trabalho! Não temos materiais apropriados para proteção individual; postos de salvamento adequados; (…) viaturas para ativação e desativação do serviço (…). Os Guarda Vidas do interior estão sem infraestrutura básica, sem um lugar apropriado para trabalhar, fazer suas necessidades e se alimentar. A escala (12h por 36h) é extremamente nociva à saúde, pois não possibilita, em hipótese alguma, a recuperação plena (física e emocional) desses profissionais. A exposição prolongada à radiação solar tem causado diversos problemas dermatológicos, inclusive câncer de pele. Além disso, temos lesões ortopédicas, oftálmicas e auditivas (…)!
Finally, on June 3 (Friday), around 2pm, a massive rally of about 5,000 people gathered on the steps of Alerj before marching to the shopping heart of Rio. In the evening, about 2,000 demonstrators occupied the headquarters of the Fire Department to make sure their claim was heard.
The moment was shared in a video by Clarissa Godinho on Youtube:
A shock reaction
The chaos which spread, fueled by an anger generated by the fact that they were being ignored for a long time, immediately brought the Shock Battalion of Military Police to action. 12 hours later, in a joint operation with the BOPE, control of the headquarters was regained as well as the  detention of 439 firefighters.
The moment of entry of the forces into the Central Headquarters of the Fire Department was documented by Rick Sardella on a video titled “Elite Squad 3 – BOPE vs Heroes, Women and Children”.
Red Rio Flyer featuring the main claims, on Flickr by Deputado Estadual Marcelo Freixo PSOL-RJ (CC BY 2.0)
On the blog Vi o Mundo (I saw the world), an interview with the father of one of the arrested firefighters said:
Ninguém é louco de levar família com filhos para uma manifestação,  pensando em confronto e baderna. Quem destruiu o quartel foi o BOPE no  momento da invasão. Só não morreu ninguém por obra de Deus. Dispararam  tiro de fuzil do lado de fora e gás lacrimogêneo na sala em que estavam  mulheres e crianças.
In reaction, the firefighters wrote an open letter to the population aiming to “clarify what has been taking place in the Corporation and in the State Government, and what has lead companions and their family to challenge the excesses of the General Commander Col. Peter Marco and Governor Sérgio Cabral”. It may be read on one of the first blogs that republished it, Tulio Fuzato:
Nossos militares foram presos e conduzidos aos quartéis da PMERJ como criminosos apenas por reivindicar dignidade profissional!
Open letters in support of firefighters then multiplied, including one from eight leaders, as well as a petition for the “Dignity of Carioca Firefighters“, in a movement of increasing solidarity to pressure the release of prisoners. The authorization came only on June 10.
Rio wears red
" Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy " (salmo 126.5) #RioVermelho (Red Rio) #SosBombeirosRJ (SOS Firefighters Rio de Janeiro). Photo on Twitpic by Inez (@MCInez)
#RIOVERMELHO – De ontem pra hoje, vi que muitas pessoas estão se solidarizando com a causa dos bombeiros :) Todo mundo usando fitinhas vermelhas!
Wrote Kamila Marques (@Mandhalla) on Twitter on the afternoon of June 10, while the Habeas Corpus issued by the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro was celebrated. With the release of the prisioners, and despite the proposal from the State Government to readjust the salary next July by 5,58%, the claims remain. According to one of the leaders of the movement, Lauro Botto, “the negotiations with the Rio government for better pay will only resume after the military arrested following the raid in central headquarters of the corporation, on Friday evening, receive amnesty from the State government”.
Cristiane Mendes (@krys_mendes) added:
Habeas Corpus não é Anistia! ATO PACÍFICO DE APOIO #BOMBEIROSRJ – domingo, 12/06, às 9hs – Copacabana http://migre.me/51IOD #riovermelho
The “Mega Passeata” (Mega Rally), organized by SOS Bombeiros RJ, invites “those who are outraged with the low salaries and the high salaries of the governors” to participate. The call is also made in a video offered in solidarity by several artists from Globo network:
Danilo Pereira, on the blog Abordagem Policial (Police Approach), finalizes:
Vamos acompanhar, vestindo o espírito de vermelho, as manifestações dos  Bombeiros do Rio. Um exemplo de união e dignidade entre militares,  postura que certamente irá elevar a instituição após o êxito nas  negociações.