A bike taxi rider and his customer’s husband were filmed scrapping in the street after he cancelled the woman’s ride.
One man was filmed punching the other as he sat on top of him on the pavement.
Others, meanwhile, could be seen trying in vain to break up the fight.
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Yuri Souza picked his customer up on Tuesday (3 December) morning to take her to her destination.
But before getting on the pillion, Natasha Araújo Costa told him she was running late for her second day at work.
After telling him she needed to get there ASAP, Souza, 32, suggested taking a shortcut.
Costa, 35, declined because it would have taken them through a dangerous area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
So Souza decided to cancel the ride.
Costa’s husband, Cláudio Rodrigo dos Santos, then began trading insults with Souza.
Souza rode off on his motorbike, but Dos Santos, 44, followed him in his car.
He caught up with him at a red light and the two began arguing again.
Dos Santos then got out of his car and the fight ensued, prompting passersby to call the police.
By this point, Costa was on her way to work on a bus.
En route, she recognised a car with a smashed window as her husband’s, so she got off and walked over to the scene.
Both men were taken to the police station.
In the meantime, Souza took photos of his injuries and explained what had happened in a series of voice notes.
He sent them to a WhatsApp group of around 200 bike taxi riders from the neighbourhood.
A group of them later organised a protest motorcade in front of the couple’s house, as reported by Need To Know.
Some even broke into the family home and damaged or stole belongings, furniture, and appliances.
A short while later, the couple began receiving clips of the wanton destruction and they filed a police report for vandalism and theft.
The couple, who have two children, said they were afraid to return home, fearing for their safety.
Costa said: “Guys, I’m here at the police station. Look, they’ve completely wrecked my house.
“I spent the whole morning here, left at 5 pm, haven’t eaten all day, and my house is in ruins.”
Following the vandalism, Souza recorded a video condemning his fellow riders’ actions.
However, he said of the beating he’d received from Dos Santos earlier in the day: “All this just because I refused to give a woman a ride.
“Her husband chased me down, threatening and intimidating me. Nothing justifies the violence he used against me.”
The police are investigating the case.
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