An attempt to block BR-101 in Joinville, north of Santa Catarina, ended with the arrest of a 37-year-old man on Friday evening (18). The protest began around 11:30 pm on Km 25 of the highway and was quickly dispersed by the PRF (Federal Highway Police).

The protest took place on Friday evening (18) at km 25 of the BR-101 motorway – Photo: Disclosure/ND

According to PRF, the protest began with violence, with the destruction of highway barriers and the looting of public property, forcing agents to use police force to disperse the protest and ensure the free passage of vehicles and people. Teams from Joinville, Barra Vella and Guaramirim were moved to the location where the protest was taking place.

“The protest jeopardized the safety of vehicles that needed to travel on the highway, as several tires were criminally set on fire and explosive devices were used,” the PRF said in a statement.

Protesters covered their faces during a rally on the BR-101 in Joinville – Photo: Disclosure/ND

The detainee was charged with crimes related to the criminal community, endangering other types of public transport, obstruction or difficulty in its operation, destruction, incapacitation or damage to other people’s property, as well as disobedience to the lawful order of an official. Without the right to post bail, he was sent to the Joinville Regional Jail and is due for a custody hearing this Saturday (19).

Tires set on fire on BR-101 Friday night (18) – Video: Disclosure/ND

PRF determined that no truck owners or transport workers were involved in the protest. According to police, the truck drivers themselves tried to negotiate a release, but were unsuccessful.

PRF and Federal Police teams are working to identify the leaders, coordinators and participants of the demonstration with their faces covered. Despite this, the PRF ensures that the leaders are already in place and more arrests can take place in the coming days.

Quarantine in the south of the state

This Saturday morning (19) demonstrators blocked 438 km of BR-101 in Sombrio in the south of the state. According to the PRF, about 10 tractors and 30 people occupied the highway and blocked traffic on the site.

However, according to PRF, after negotiations, the track was released around 11:10 am. As a result, there were no checkpoints on federal highways in Santa Catarina at the end of the morning.

Completely cleared track at km 438 BR-101 in Sombrio.

There are currently no roadblocks on the federal highways of Santa Catarina.

— PRF SK (@PRF191SC) November 19, 2022