Brazilian gangs target police

[Kweku_Omowale]

globe and mail,may 15 2006

BRAZILIAN GANGS TARGETS POLICE

At least 35 officers die in the most vicious attacks prison riotings
linked to gangsters jail transfers

A notorious criminal gang unelasheda second wave of attacks against police yesterday, bringing at least 52 to the number of people killed,in what officials say was the deadliest assault of its kind in brazils history
Meanewhile,aanother 33 related prison rebellions also broke out yesterday,bringing the number of up rising in sao paulo state toa number of 51,more than one third of brazil 144 prison inmates were holding 244 prison guards hostage.
the rebellious inmates have not made any demand nor they have armed any of their hostages,said jorge de souza,a spokeman,for the sao paulo prison affairs department.
he said visiting relatives were inside several of the prisons but" we dont consider them hostages because they are there to show solidarity with their jailed relatives"
the attacks and rebellions,planned by the FIRST CAPITAL COMMAND,knoen by its portuguese initials, PCC)were the most vicious attacks and show of deadliest forces on public security forces that has ever taken place in brazil"
said Enio Lucciola,spokeman for the sao paulo state public safety.they came in response to the the transfer of the PCC jailed leaders,a practse used to severe ties to gang members outside prisons
Lucciola said some kind of PCC attack, was expected after the transfer" but we bever imagined it would be so big and ferocious".
the PCC carried out at least 100 separate attacks on friday and saturday and yesterday that killed at least 35 police officers,the girlfriend of one of them and two passer by,forteen gang members were killed in gun battle with the police,according to ther press of sao paulo state government.
" at least 72 people were arrested" all of them,with long criminal records" lucciola said
officers set up checkpoints to search vehicles and barriers were placed in front of many police stations to block pedestrians and vehicles.
t.v footages showed bullet riddle police cars shattered glass at one station.
Assailants also attacked patrol cars,bars,popular with off duty police men,court housem and apolice out post, on the outskirts of sao paulo.
witnessesess to the killing of one policemanmsaid two men wearing masks approached the officer,jose antonio martinez,as he was dining with his wife,shot him several times in the head,and then fled, his wife was unhurt.
" we cant let this pass!" said officer Nilo FARIA hellmeister,a friend of martinez," we must adopt an incisive and extremely harsh attitude"
witnesses several kilometers away said two groups of men began shooting at randon in front ofa fire station,killinga fire fighter,in brazil,the fire deparment falls under the category or jurisdiction of of the state police.
" it wasa massacrer" said wilson moraes,president of the police association" we are poorly armed,poorly equipped and poorly paid"
During a 10 day period,in nov 2003 the PCC attacked more than 50 police stations with guns and home made bombs,killing three officers and injuring 12,the attacks were planned by jailed PCC leaders to pressure offcicials to improve prison conditions in brazil.