{"id":60105,"date":"2020-06-08T16:37:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T19:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=60105"},"modified":"2020-06-18T09:23:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-18T12:23:44","slug":"not-from-gunshots-not-from-covid-not-from-hunger-black-people-want-to-live-favelas-take-to-the-streets-to-fight-racism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=60105","title":{"rendered":"‘Not from Gunshots, Covid, or Hunger! Black People Want to Live!’ Favelas Take Streets to Fight Racism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is our latest article on the\u00a0<\/i>new coronavirus as it impacts Rio de Janeiro\u2019s favelas<\/a>.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n

“Marielle asked, and I ask too: how many more will have to die for this war to end?” This was the rhyme, in Portuguese, chanted by black, favela, and periphery residents marching through Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, June 7, in the second #VidasNegrasImportam (#BlackLivesMatter) protest against racism<\/a>. The refrain refers to the final tweet<\/a> of the late City Councillor Marielle Franco, murdered March 14, 2018<\/a>. The day’s protest, organized by the Favelas na Luta Movement<\/a>, included participation from periphery and black community collectives.<\/p>\n

Under the banner of “Not from Gunshots, Not from Covid, Not from Hunger! Black People Want to Live!”, the demonstrators marched in opposition to the State’s policy of death<\/a>, both in relation to intensified social vulnerability<\/a> amid the country’s Covid-triggered economic and public health crisis as well as unceasing police violence<\/a> in the favelas during the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sunday afternoon, when the first demonstrators began gathering at the statue of Zumbi dos Palmares<\/a>, the length of Presidente Vargas Avenue looked deserted. Almost. \u201cThere are more police here than protestors!\u201d yelled one demonstrator, pointing to throngs of police encircling the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The street has always been ours!” yelled Juliana Alves, an activist from Rio’s Popular Union for Socialism<\/a>. “We are seeing this many police here because there are black people in the streets today. They don’t have the right to take our lives from us, to take our dreams from us, to take those we love from us.”<\/p>\n

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Photo: Daiene Mendes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ratio would soon invert. Hundreds of black, poor, favela, and periphery youth filled the downtown Centro<\/a> area’s main avenue, marching despite news of police repression circulating on social media<\/a> and criticism from dissonant voices<\/a> questioning the merits of risking Covid-19 infection for an in-person protest<\/a> in the streets, counter to the recommendations<\/a> of the World Health Organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I am here because black lives matter<\/a>, and I am a black youth!” said 23-year-old Adriana Fernandes, a cultural producer and DJ from the South Zone<\/a> favela of Santo Amaro<\/a>. “I am part of the risk group, but if we aren’t in the streets, other people will be. Yes, I’m afraid of the pandemic, of getting infected, but we are here today in the streets to fight for our rights.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tanks and Pat-downs\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

In pick-up trucks and on motorcycles, on horseback and on foot, police wielded batons, riot shields, rubber-bullet rifles, and gas cannons, intimidating protestors throughout the day. T<\/span>wo camouflaged tanks stood parked outside Duque de Caxias Palace, headquarters of Brazil\u2019s Eastern Military Command<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Colocaram um TANQUE DE GUERRA para proteger um monumento em homenagem a Duque de Caxias, genocida que hoje \u00e9 patrono do ex\u00e9rcito, Mas no Imp\u00e9rio reprimiu diversas revoltas populares.
\nHoje a gente vive numa rep\u00fablica democr\u00e1tica. Eu te pergunto: mudou algo pro povo nesse pa\u00eds? pic.twitter.com\/CfSqfMNOCn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 thuane (@thuxxxxx) June 7, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n