Edson Gomes and the young Zé do Shopping
One morning, at approximately 7:00 a.m., a young street vendor was pushing his cart along Miguel Calmon Street, Salvador, Bahia. With his cart full of merchandise, he needed to get to the street vendors' mall quickly. Many people took advantage of the opportunity to make some purchases at that moment with Zé do Shopping, as he was known. After making several sales and continuing to push the merchandise cart, a Toyota belonging to the military police ordered the young man to stop and he immediately pulled over the cart on the shoulder of Miguel Calmon Street. Four (four) municipal guards and six (six) military police officers got out of the vehicle.
One of the police officers arrested the young man and kicked him in the legs.
-Spread your legs, you son of a bitch. Where's your fucking ID? Don't look at me. Where are the packets of marijuana?
Zé do Shopping also said:
-Sir, I'm a worker, a street vendor in the informal market and I have a badge and documents here. I don't sell or use drugs.
The other police officer spoke loudly:
-Turn off that damn radio, you piece of shit.
A police officer who was watching everything said:
-Put the rings on him so he doesn't run away, put the cart in the pickup truck and get rid of these people.
A young man who knows Zé do Shopping approaches and asks:
-My brother, what did you do to be handcuffed? You're a worker, not a criminal.
Zé do Shopping answers:
-I didn't do anything. Do me a favor? Take some money out of my pocket and buy Maria's medicine. She needs it urgently. And don't say anything because she had heart surgery yesterday.
The friend took five hundred reais out of his pocket and quickly left for the hospital.
The other police officer, very nervous, says:
-What's your name, you bastard. Say it right away, damn it. Every farmer is a crook. He's so much a crook that he told the other guy to take the money and run.
Zé watches the cart going to the pickup truck, looking sad.
Without delay, police officer João tells soldier Romualdo.
-Romualdo, get the towel from the ice inside the car, and I'll ask him to bless Saint Barnabas. And let him go home safely.
The police officer takes the towel and sergeant João tells Zé do Shopping to look directly into his eyes. In a few moments, soldier Romualdo gives Zé do Shopping a big punch in the back. The pain and shortness of breath echo in his wily, frail body, falling to the ground without saying anything, compromising his ribs and chest muscle.
Romualdo argues.
-I want to break that black bum's face.
With a blow from the butt of the rifle to the right eye, blood splatters. And soldier Romualdo says:
-This bum is dead, call the SAMU right away and let's get out of here. What do you want to see? You've never seen the police!
Romualdo immediately called Sergeant João and asked:
-What's up, sergeant? Did you find anything about this criminal's past life?
The sergeant replied:
-There's nothing. He works at the city's shopping mall.
-When we take him to the ambulance, put three packets of powder and four of Maria Joana in his pocket with the fingerprints.
A lady named Dona Angélica, who was watching everything, said:
-I have the radio on full blast playing the song Camelô by our local street vendor Edson Gomes. I saw everything. You're not police officers. You're the murderers of a young black man, a worker and a street vendor. Murderers! Where's the television that doesn't say anything? None of this will stay that way.
A police officer speaks to the lady:
-Grandma better go home. Don't get involved with the police. You're a grandma and nothing more. The police are the police, and we have rifles.
Immediately, Sergeant João sent Zé do Shopping's body to the hospital and filed a police report at the police station stating that marijuana and cocaine had been found in his pocket. When the ambulance arrived, Zé do Shopping's friend was leaving the hospital and saw the paramedics removing the body, and he spoke loudly with resignation:
- It was the police who killed the black worker and even planted marijuana and cocaine in his pockets. My people, he is innocent. I've known Zé since he was a child, back in Cachoeira. He's a street vendor, he has his informal merchant's license. My people, I was with him and he told me that he didn't do anything, taking his truck full of merchandise. And what happened was that he sent me to buy medicine for his wife who had heart surgery yesterday. That's really bad luck. I don't have a great friend, my only friend is God.
In a few moments, Dona Angélica arrived at the scene with Zé do Shopping's battery-powered radio, and the television watched and recorded everything for the news.
-My friends, I am disgusted by this police. I never thought it would all end in the hospital. I saw everything and I am ready to testify against the police. Zé did not deserve to have his merchandise seized just because he used Miguel Calmon Street to go to work, where he has a large office in the street vendors' mall. His wife, Maria, is undergoing surgery in this hospital. The police punched Zé in the back and hit him in the eye with a gun butt. This is just too cowardly. He left there dead in the ambulance. I have Zé's battery-powered radio. And I am going to play the song he really likes – Street Vendor by Edson Gomes, his fellow countryman.
The reporter asks:
-But is Zé do Shopping a fellow countryman of Edson Gomes?
Mrs. Angélica says:
-Yes, he is a fellow countryman. Zé do Shopping was born in Cachoeira, the same city where Edson Gomes was born. He really loves the songs of his fellow countryman Edson Gomes, a native of Bahia. Only I know that Zé do Shopping has been living in Salvador for almost three years. I would like to take this opportunity to send a message to Edson Gomes.
The reporter replied:
-Yes. You can send your message to our greatest regueiro and Bahian Edson Gomes.
Dona Angélica, nervous, sends her message to the singer Edson Gomes.
-Good morning, my dear regueiro singer Edson Gomes. First of all, I would like to wish you a happy birthday on July 3, 2024. May God give you good health, peace and success. The subject here is your fellow countryman Zé do Shopping, who has two broken ribs, a broken chest and an eye injury for being a street vendor and was arrested for using a merchandise cart on Rua Miguel Calmon. He did not commit any illegal act and his merchandise and cart were seized while he was handcuffed. Despite being beaten by the police and taken to the hospital by ambulance almost lifeless, the medical team revived him and he underwent several surgeries. His wife is undergoing heart surgery at the same hospital. My dear Edson Gomes, I would like you to ask your lawyers to file a Habeas Corpus for Zé do Shopping. He cannot be arrested when he leaves the hospital, after all, he did nothing and did not commit any criminal act. Zé do Shopping needs to file a lawsuit for compensation against the State. I can't do anything, I'm very poor, working in other people's kitchens. Here I say goodbye, sending a big hug to Edson Gomes from Bahia.
A few days later, the legal team of singer Edson Gomes filed a Habeas Corpus in favor of Zé do Shopping from Cachoeira in the face of the competent court to judge the acts committed by the coercive authority and a lawsuit for compensation against the State.
With the Release Warrant in hand, the renowned singer and petitioner Edson Gomes appeared at that public hospital together with the wife of street vendor Zé do Shopping, and the lawyers bought a house for the couple as a surprise.
Street Vendor
Edson Gomes
I'm a street vendor, I work in the informal market
With my guide, I'm a professional
I'm a good guy, I just don't have a tradition
On the other hand, I come from a good family
Look, doctor, we can review the situation
Stop the police, they're not the solution, no
I'm nobody, and I have no one to appeal to
I only have my good side, which is also nobody
When the police come after me
It seems like I'm a beast
When the police come after me
It seems like I'm a beast
It seems like, it seems like
It seems like, it seems like
I'm a street vendor, I work in the informal market
With my guide, I'm a professional
I'm a good guy, I just don't have a tradition
On the other hand, I come from a good family
Look, doctor, we can review the situation
Stop the police, they're not the solution, no
I'm nobody, and I have no one to appeal to
I only have my good side, which is also nobody
When the police come after me me
It seems like I'm a beast
When the police come down on me
It seems like I'm a beast
It seems like, it seems like
It seems like, it seems like
It seems like, it seems like