Court orders release of 439 firefighters detained in Rio.
Those camped outside the Assembly now want amnesty for their comrades; a march in Copacabana on Sunday promises to repudiate Governor Sérgio Cabral's truculent attitude against the heroes, who were only asking for a decent wage.
At the encampment in front of the Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly, a group of firefighters celebrated the court's decision granting provisional release to the 439 members of the fire department who had been imprisoned since Saturday for invading the central fire station. One of the representatives, Corporal Laércio Soares, a lifeguard from the Barra da Tijuca Maritime Group, stated that the victory will only be complete with the approval of amnesty and the suspension of all administrative proceedings against firefighters due to the salary dispute.
"This is a moment of gratitude to the population and to the Justice system. We will wait for our colleagues who were imprisoned to celebrate this victory. But it will only be complete with the amnesty," said Soares. He also confirmed that the march scheduled for Sunday at 9 am along the Copacabana beachfront will still take place.
Today, Judge Claudio Brandão de Oliveira granted provisional release to the 439 firefighters who were arrested. The habeas corpus petition had been filed by federal deputies Alessandro Molon (PT-RJ), Protógenes Queiroz (PC do B-SP), and Doutor Aluizio (PV-RJ).
"Convinced that maintaining the detention is no longer justified, I grant the requested injunction and grant provisional release to the military personnel arrested in the episode mentioned in the initial petition and listed in the attached document," wrote the judge. The deputies then went to Charitas, where the firefighters are being held, to inform relatives of the judge's decision.