Rio de Janeiro residents protest against restrictive isolation measures
FILE – In this April 5, 2020, file photo, people watch firefighter Elielson Silva play his trumpet from the top of a ladder for residents cooped up at home, during a lockdown to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, April 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
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UPDATED 12:37 PM PT — Sunday, April 19, 2020
Brazilians are protesting restrictive isolation measures imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, hundreds of Rio de Janeiro residents gathered in their cars, trucks and motorcycles to protest their governor’s isolation policies.
Residents argued for less restrictive measures and policies, mirroring Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s ‘vertical isolation’ policy. This measure aimed to keep at-risk people at home.
— Jouberth Souza (@Jouberth19) April 19, 2020
According to demonstrators, they are protesting measures that will freeze the economy.
“The lives are more important than any other thing, but we can’t make decisions today and not think about tomorrow,” stated state legislator Anderson Moraes. “Tomorrow, I don’t know how the father of a family will be when he sees his children suffering of hunger.”
Bolsonaro has vowed to start looking at ways to reopen the economy, saying the people want a return to normalcy.
MORE NEWS: State Residents Protesting Democrat Governors’ ‘Unconstitutional Overreach’ With Stay-At-Home Orders
A member of a cultural center wears a mask to protect himself against the spread of the new coronavirus, as he donates food for poor families in Turano favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, April 15, 2020.(AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)