Riot In Amazon City Over Seized Timber

The city of Paragominas, in the remote Northeastern area of Brazil, was in turmoil last night as a riot broke out when around 3,000 people attacked government offices, in protest against the Brazilian government’s recent attempts to curb the spread of illegal logging in the area.

The riots are said to have broken out following the authorities seizing 400 m³ of illegally cut-down timber that had been growing in a preservation area reserved for native Indians.

Many people in these remote rainforest areas are often aggressive towards government officials attempting to implement the government’s anti-logging policies, which is the main source of income for all of the residents of these areas.

In the latest incident, rioters smashed at the offices of the government’s environmental agency in the city, destroying the interior and setting fire to the Department’s files.

The government employees from the agency had escaped to a nearby hotel but were pursued by a mob, who attempted to smash their way into the hotel using a tractor.

The mob also used pistols and rifles to shoot at government vehicles owned by the environmental agency, as well as stealing back the seized timber.

This is just the latest incident in the region that has seen a number of large-scale riots in relation to seized timber.

The timber seizures are part of the government’s Operation Black Trail, which is specifically aimed at halting the production of charcoal made from illegal timber cutting.