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Militarymen stand guard outside the Legislative Assembly building, which is being occupied by policemen on strike in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on February 6, 2012. (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)
In only six days, the Brazilian city of Salvador reported 83 homicides during a crime wave prompted by a police strike, according to media reports.
Police strikers surrounded the Salvadoran legislature building, insisting officials meet their demands, reported AFP.
Strike leader Marcos Prisco cautioned that “if the army storms the building there could be a catastrophe,” according to the news agency. He said the building held nearly 4,000 police and their families, including children.
At least 30,000 members of the Bahia police force went on strike on Tuesday, demanding an increase in their pay and better working conditions. A state court said the strike was not legal and said they needed to get back to their jobs.
Officials in Salvador, the capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, said that around 30 murders were committed between Friday and the early morning hours of Saturday, reported the Latin American Herald Tribune.
“We’re taking measures to deter the actions of a group of police officers that are using reprehensible methods and spreading fear among the population, which is causing all the disturbances,” Bahia Governor Jacques Wagner said, according to the Tribune.
As a stopgap measure, the Brazilian government deployed 2,600 soldiers to the city, according to the publication. If things get even more out of hand, officials said another 4,000 are on reserve for deployment.
“Democracy depends on the rule of law and cannot coexist with this movement, which a court has already judged illegal,” Wagner added.