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“If it fell to the ground, it’s from the town!” This was the clamor of the approximately 50 people who accompanied the removal of meat from a truck that fell on the Regis Bittencourt Highway, in São Paulo, this Tuesday afternoon (8). With some refrigerator hooks, protective masks and reports of hunger, the population of the region, at the time of Itapecerica da Serra, in Greater São Paulo, faced risks of exposure to the new coronavirus, of prison and of consuming food in poor condition to contract a virus. part of the load.
Accompanied by the police, some of the people at the scene managed to pick up some pieces in the morning after the rollover. The rest spent the afternoon on the side of the road waiting for an opportunity.
On the other side of the track, where the population was crowded -mostly with masks- the requests came: “Let go of the meat! We just want to eat a steak!” .
Mechanic Rogério, 62, left the workshop in the hands of his son to monitor the accident early in the morning. Amid the pandemic, he says business is worse than ever.
I think the last time we ate meat was at Christmas! Have you seen the price of meat? We buy land from third parties, when we can. If it’s already spoiled, why not give it to the population? “
Rogério, 62, mechanic
“There is only one family man here, apart from one or the other,” he added with good humor. He said that when he arrived he witnessed that some people left with pieces, but that, for him, “there was nothing left.”
After collapsing, the population waited by the side of the road.
Image: Lucas Borges Teixeira / UOL
The 59-year-old housewife Maria das Dores arrived at the scene with her two sons in their twenties. Disappointed, she says she saw people with pieces, but couldn’t catch them.
What are they going to do with that meat? Tell me. Nobody says it! They should give it to the people. I know how to put that meat to good use. “
Maria das Dores, 59, in a jovial tone
According to refrigerator and insurance officials, about 30% of the 25 tons of cargo have been looted. The housewife questions the data. “They took a few pieces! I kick around 5% of everything. They’re like that, they don’t share with people,” he said, as he watched another company truck refuel.
“If the smell is good, corona is nothing”
About 10 hours after the accident, a group of about 50 people were still waiting at the crash site. Almost everyone wore masks, but the fear of being infected by the new coronavirus did not appear in the statements as the main concern of those present.
“My concern is that the meat is rotten, [depois de] so long stopped, right? “Said manicurist Nicolly, 22. She canceled an appointment to go to the place accompanied by two friends. “If the food is good, with a good smell, corona is nothing,” said the young woman.
Lúcia, on the other hand, unemployed since the beginning of the pandemic in March, feeds her children with her husband’s minimum wage. For her, the situation would be an opportunity to have meat on the table again.
I have two children to feed. It didn’t have to be more than one piece, no. One was enough for us. “
Lucia, unemployed
Lucia arrived at the scene around 4 in the afternoon with her brother-in-law Wesley and a friend. According to her, they put two isopores in the trunk to take the food, but they did not risk the police. “They could let it go, this meat no longer serves them,” he lamented. Wesley disagreed. A chef at a restaurant in Itapecerica, he says they should still use meat to make meat in the sun.
Hypotheses like this circulated among the people who accompanied the withdrawal of the meat. “I heard from the inspector that they were going to wash and sell again. The owner of the refrigerator said they could sell,” said one of the men who was following the scene, but did not want to be identified.
Among others, information was circulated that the insurance company had granted access to the cargo to the population, but the police had prevented it. Neither hypothesis was confirmed by the report.
The police dispersed the population at the site of the dump of the load
Image: Lucas Borges Teixeira / UOL
Tear gas and pepper spray
The load dropped shortly before 8 am. The looting of property began shortly after. It wasn’t long before the Federal Highway Police arrived. In the middle of the afternoon, in addition to the PRF, the GCM (Metropolitan Civil Guard) and the BAEP (Battalion of Special Actions of the Military Police) followed the situation.
According to reports, late in the morning the police dispersed the population still huddling around the truck with a tear gas and pepper spray. Carlos Alberto, who works in the opposite direction to the accident, said that this was the only moment of tension.
The population stayed on the site in the hope that eventually some of the cargo would be free.
“The police have nothing else to do, right? The real bandits are free and the population that wants to eat is treated like a bandit,” protested seamstress Carla Regina, who was waiting with her son and nephew.
At around 5 p.m., BAEP crossed the road and tried to disperse the remaining people, with studies and rifles. “I’m dying to have one today,” the report heard a policeman say as he dispersed. Looting the cargo of a dump truck can be classified as robbery with up to 8 years in prison. Seeing the action, on the other hand, is not prohibited.
After 6 pm, few followed the recall of the meat, under the supervision of the PRF and the PM.
“I only get out of here when everything is taken from me. Something remains, ”said a young man who did not identify himself. With folded arms and a Joker mask, he watched the action from across the street.
* Some names and surnames have been removed at the request of the respondents.
