1.
LV/GV Tops of buildings ZOOM INTO Crowd in street
0.11

2.
GV GROUND VIEW people in street
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3.
SV various bank exteriors (5 shots)
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4.
GV Military police moving people on
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5.
GV People looking onto street from building windows, PAN DOWN TO people on ground (2 shots)
0.56

6.
SV Man talking to police officer, slogans on walls of buildings (2 shots)
1.05

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GV Police walk down street as people watch from building windows
1.15

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GV Women sweeping broken glass from street
1.22

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SV Police car drives down street/general view of street (2 shots)
1.36



Initials BB/



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Brazilian police fought rock throwing crowds in the centre of Sao Paulo on Thursday (13 September), when an attempt to break up a picket line of striking bank clerks sparked a full scale riot. There were more than a hundred arrests.

SYNOPSIS: The riot broke out in Sao Paulo's central business district. The bank clerks had gone on strike in support of a pay claim, and were picketing the city's main banks.

The national strike had closed banks throughout the country. However the government ruled that banking was an essential service and declared the strike illegal. When the picket lines formed in Sao Paulo military police were ordered to move them.

As police tried to dislodge the picketers they were met with a barrage of rocks, bottles and other missiles. People watching from nearby buildings joined the riot and began throwing things at police from above. A number of banks had their windows broken and nearby shops were forced to close. Police responded by firing tear gas at the rioters. About a hundred and twenty people were arrested.

The strike also closed banks in Rio de Janeiro, and although riot police equipped with shields patrolled the main streets, there were no reports of trouble. The clerks demand for more money came as Brazil devalued the Cruzeiro for the second time in less than three weeks. The latest devaluation of just over five per cent was the twelfth so far this year.