Demanding action from the authorities, slogans such as “La Liga dos racistas, will not pass!” conducted the act in Brasilia in support of Real Madrid soccer player, Vinicius Júnior. Held on the afternoon of this Thursday (25th), in front of the Spanish Embassy, the demonstration brought together collectives, anti-fascist supporters, black movement organizations from the Federal District.
Held on World Africa Day, the demonstration demanded justice for cases of racism against player Vini Jr. and reacted to the growing data on racial violence in different areas of Brazilian and world society.
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“Those who support racism no longer do so in secret. They are in stadiums, in the media, in the armed wing of the State and in recreational racism, hypocritically defended as freedom of expression, used to reverberate hate speeches and naturalize our dehumanization”, points to an excerpt from the Red Card Against Racism manifesto, which was read collectively during the act.
The episode against Vinicius took place on Sunday (21), in a game against Real Madrid, for the Spanish championship. In a match against Valencia, he was called “mono” (“monkey”, in Spanish) by a good part of the opposing crowd. The racist chorus was at least the 10th episode of racial violence and hatred against the 22-year-old since 2021.
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“How does she feel watching her son work and, for three months, the fans practicing prejudice and racism?”, said teacher, social educator and pastor Wall Moraes, from the Mulheres Evangélicas do Brasil movement, remembering that other players like Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Roberto Carlos went through the same situation.
For Bentilho Jorge da Silva, from the Movimento Negros e Negras do Brasil, the political act on Africa Day is also a moment of reflection. “It’s an important moment for us to organize against racism not only in Brazil, but all over the world”.
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Source: BdF Distrito Federal
Editing: Flavia Quirino