São Paulo police officers hire “50 buses” to attend September 7 demo

Right-wing congressman and retired police officer Coronel Tadeu declared that members of the military police from at least five São Paulo cities are planning to attend the pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations scheduled for September 7, Brazil’s Independence Day, in the state capital.

Mr. Tadeu claimed that officers have hired “at least 50 buses” to transport them to the city of São Paulo, saying that “80 percent of the São Paulo military police” supports President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to military police rules, active members of the force are forbidden from taking part in party-political demonstrations, but Congressman Tadeu said that nothing can stop them from attending “as Brazilians.”

“Officers have birth certificates and the right to be patriots,” he told news portal UOL.

On Monday, São Paulo Governor João Doria fired military police colonel Aleksander Lacerda after he had summoned his social media friends to attend the September 7 demonstration. Col. Toledo — who leads seven platoons of 5,000 men responsible for 78 municipalities in the state — posted on Facebook that Brazil’s political crisis can only be solved with a “tank.”

• #democracy
• #protests
• #violence