17 Brazilian cops arrested for supporting strike in Rio

Seventeen police officers in the southwestern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro were arrested after they joined a strike called by some firefighters and policemen Thursday night, authorities said Friday. Ten of them were accused of plotting the strike while the rest were arrested for disobedience. The Rio state has about 70,000 officers, including the Military Police, the Civil Police and the firefighters. The situation in Rio de Janeiro is relatively calm, compared with the chaos and insecurity reported in Bahia state, where police have been going on a strike for 10 days. President Dilma Roussef said that 14,000 officers from the National Security Forces would support Rio de Janeiro's local government to guarantee the security in this state, to avoid a similar situation to the one reported in Bahia state. The strike in Rio de Janeiro happens one week before the beginning of the famous carnival festivities, which draw thousands of foreign tourists every year.