Teachers should take legal action against Richa.

Alex Rodrigues, from Agência Brasil - On strike since last Monday, the 27th, teachers in the Paraná state network will decide today (30) what measures they will take to hold the state government and the president of the Legislative Assembly, deputy Ademar Traiano (PSDB), accountable for the police action that, yesterday (29), left 170 protesters and 20 police officers injured. Among the actions evaluated by the Union of Education Workers of the State of Paraná is taking legal action against the Paraná government.

"We are still trying to absorb the massacre, but we are also organizing ourselves to define our next actions. It is a difficult day, as we are attending to the wounded, guiding colleagues who were detained, and working on several fronts to obtain the information and evidence necessary for the next steps," said the general secretary of the Union of Education Workers of the State of Paraná, Vanda do Pilar Bandeira.

Vanda also said that the union is already addressing the issue with members of the Human Rights Commissions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), as well as with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the state Public Defender's Office. "We invited representatives from organizations and sectors that defend human rights to define a collective action to denounce and take appropriate legal measures against the governor [Beto Richa], against the Secretary of Public Security [Fernando Francischini], and against the president of the Legislative Assembly," added Vanda, lamenting the governor's stance.

Yesterday (29), the governor of Paraná, Beto Richa, said, in a press conference, that the police reacted to provocations from some people who were in the square. "Seven black blocs were arrested. The police, when confronted by these troublemakers and black blocs, reacted, in a natural protection of their physical integrity."

According to the union representative, however, the governor could have contained the violence. "He didn't assume his role as Chief of Police. He could have stopped all the violence, which was extremely disproportionate. We understand the police's function of protecting public property, but at no point did we threaten that property," the union representative stated.

Despite criticizing the governor and publicly stating its intention to take legal action, the union says it believes in negotiation as a way to overturn the bill that alters the rules of the state's public pension system, approved by the Legislative Assembly amidst the turmoil that was taking place outside, in Civic Square.

"We will ask the governor not to approve this law. We want to continue the debate with the government, because the pension reform does not cover all public employees and, if approved, will harm approximately 30 employees."

Several acts of protest against police excesses are planned for today. The first gathering took place this morning in Praça 19 de Dezembro, near the Civic Center. Another is scheduled for early afternoon, in front of the Central Bank.

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Paraná has initiated proceedings to investigate any potential police excesses in the repression of the teachers. The Civil Police have also opened an inquiry to investigate the facts and the possible involvement of individuals unrelated to the teachers in the act and the beginning of the disturbance. The Public Security Secretariat regretted the incident, assuring that it had instructed those responsible for the operation to avoid violence and confrontation.