Thousands of Prisoners escape Brazilian jail ‘and hold guards hostage’ in revolt over coronavirus crackdown (video)

Many Brazilian prisoners escaped from prison in Sao Paulo yesterday after staging a revolt over a coronavirus crackdown.

The revolt ensued after the government cancelled temporary exit from prison of about 34,000 inmates of a semi-open regime, due to fears they could get infected outside and bring the virus back to the penitentiary.

It was gathered that inmates escaped in Tremembé and Mirandópolis and a rebellion was reported at a prison in Porto Feliz. 400 inmates got out of the Centro de Progressão Penitenciária (CPP) Dr Rubens Aleixo Sendin, in Mongaguá, on the coast of São Paulo.

A video shot in the city of Mongaguá on the coast of Sao Paulo state, and broadcast by TV Globo shows hundreds of men running out of a prison that has the capacity to hold about 2,800 inmates.

In the footage shared online, someone was heard in the background saying “Come back on Monday, hey!”