Murder Sparks Anti-Racism Protests in Brazil

MURDER of black man sparks anti-racism protests in Brazil.

The murder of a black man at the hands of white security guards has sparked anti-racism protests across Brazil.

On Thursday, the eve of Black Consciousness Day, Joao Alberto Silvieira Freitas was savagely killed by two guards at a Carrefour supermarket in Porto Alegre. Footage shows the officers repeatedly punching the 40-year-old in the face while he is pinned to the ground. Both of the guards have been arrested, and it was revealed that one of them was an off-duty police officer.

The shocking footage went viral on Brazillian social media, leading to crowds gathering outside the supermarket where the murder occurred as well as other branches across the country and in the capital Brasilia. Protestors carried signs reading ‘Stop Killing Us!’. Brazil’s police have a reputation for racism and violence, and last year killed six times more people than their US counterparts. The majority of their victims are black men from poor areas. The global Black Lives Matter movement of anti-racism protests that started after US police killed George Floyd in May has resonated with many Brazilians.

President Jair Bolsonoro has denied that racism exists in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888. Brazillian Everton footballer Richarlison Andrade tweeted ‘It seems that we have no way out… not even black consciousness day’.

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