Brazil: At Least 150 Are Injured as Police Clash With Teachers
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Version 0 of 1. The police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades at striking teachers in the southern city Curitiba on Wednesday, leaving more than 150 people injured. The police said they responded after a few protesters tried to gain access to a state congressional building where legislators voted to make cuts to teachers’ pension plans. But the authorities’ response was widely criticized as heavy-handed. Live television showed the police firing the nonlethal weapons into tightly packed clusters of striking teachers after some protesters tried to break through police lines around the Paraná State congressional building. Water cannons were also used to push back demonstrators. A statement on the Curitiba municipal government’s website said at least 150 people had been treated for injuries. The state security department said about 20 police officers had been hurt. |