Journalist is assaulted by president of the City Council from Caxias, northeast Brazil

The reporter Ricardo Rodrigues, from TV Band Caxias, in the Brazilian State of Maranhão, was assaulted by the president of the City Council, Antônio Luís. The action was recorded in a video that had national repercussion, after it was divulged by the program “Brasil Urgente”.

The attack happened around 19h40 from Tuesday, 2, soon after the end of the Council´s session. “The audience was complaining about the queues to the public health centers during the dawn and I asked what he, as a doctor and president of the Council, was doing about the situation”. According to Rodrigues, his program, Caxias em Opinião (Caxias in Opinion), involves the participation of the public, which had been complaining about the situation of the town´s public health system.

With the reluctance of the delegate in answering the question, Rodrigues insisted, “But the population has been complaining , president”. Immediately, the representative punched the journalist, who felt on the cameraman, making the image out of focus.

After the occurrence, Rodrigues followed to Caxias´ Police Office, where he pressed charges. “I suffered a bruise on the left side of my face”, he says. The journalist issued a lawsuit. The hearing is scheduled to may, 5th.

“It was a punch in the face of the society, in the population of the city as well as in the population of Brazil”, he said.

According to Rodrigues, the next day´s council session approved restrictions to the presence of reporters. “I have unconfirmed information that I will not receive a credential”, he said. The journalist reports that the program´s staff had already been kept from entering the city council, but was allowed to after registering the occurred in the police. Rodrigues says that in the same session the restrictions were lifted, the delegate apologized to the people of the town for the occurred, but not to the reporter.

The president of the City Council did not answer to the calls made by Abraji.