{"id":62344,"date":"2020-10-17T12:51:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T15:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=62344"},"modified":"2024-03-21T11:17:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T14:17:13","slug":"365-days-without-agatha-vitoria-felix-mother-demands-justice-at-protest-memorial-for-her-daughter-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=62344","title":{"rendered":"365 Days Without \u00c1gatha Vit\u00f3ria F\u00e9lix: Mother Demands Justice at Protest Memorial for her Daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The gesture of arms in an X across the chest, with closed fists, that went around the world<\/a> in a photo of \u00c1gatha F\u00e9lix<\/a>\u2014<\/em>an 8-year-old girl who died last year from a shot fired from the rifle of a police officer, in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>\u00a0in Rio’s North Zone<\/a>\u2014<\/em>was repeated by her mother Vanessa Francisco at the Protest in Memory of \u00c1gatha Vit\u00f3ria F\u00e9lix, a livestreamed Instagram event<\/a> organized to demand justice for her daughter<\/a>\u00a0on September 21. The protest included the participation of Raull Santiago<\/a>, an activist from Coletivo Papo Reto<\/a> (Straight Talk Collective), a human rights media collective in the favelas of <\/span>Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/span> and <\/span>Penha<\/span><\/a>; M\u00f4nica Cunha<\/a>, a human rights activist and founder of Movimento Moleque<\/a>; and Rodrigo Mondego, a human rights lawyer who is responsible for F\u00e9lix\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a mother, I couldn\u2019t leave this moment blank. I call for justice!\u201d Francisco declared, thanking the support network that organized itself around her in search of justice. F\u00e9lix was shot in the back inside a kombi (transport van) in Morro da Fazendinha<\/a> in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o.<\/p>\n

Santiago described the rapid mobilization in the community: \u201cWe have a WhatsApp group in which we monitor violence in Alem\u00e3o when there are police operations or shootings, to stay safe. We knew of \u00c1gatha\u2019s death as soon as it happened\u2026 When something bad happens, the favela becomes agitated. [News site] Voz das Comunidades<\/em><\/a> called many people to action to raise awareness about what was happening. People wanted to go to the streets, they stayed on the streets, and the next day, there was an even bigger protest. The whole world ended up knowing about it<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the activist emphasized that the network’s speed reflects a State security policy which criminalizes favelas and disregards their residents’ right to life, including children. The community’s mobilization<\/a> forced Rio de Janeiro\u2019s Civil Police<\/a> to conduct a reenactment of F\u00e9lix’s death<\/a>. The police inquiry concluded that the shot actually came from the weapon of a Military Police officer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>According to the shootings-tracking platform Fogo Cruzado<\/a>, one year after the death of \u00c1gatha, 28 children in Greater Rio<\/a> have been shot by the police. Of these, eight did not survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we did was to restore a network which unfortunately we already know how to organize: the contacts that are called into action when someone dies. They include members of the media and residents… We are not going to accept extermination,\u201d said Santiago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stand together!\u201d announced Cunha, who shares the same pain<\/a> as Vanessa, with her arms crossed in front of her chest and fists clenched during the event.<\/p>\n

Cunha’s 20-year-old son, Rafael da Silva Cunha, was killed by police in 2006<\/a>. She recalled the day of his death: \u201cThe sun was shining wonderfully, one of those days that we Rio de Janeiro residents love. My son would have been barbecuing\u2026 So I was even angrier, because the day was still beautiful. We are chosen to die or we are incarcerated, but what the State didn\u2019t expect is that we would be here today! Look how we are giving the system a beating! It is hurting, but it won’t work, you will not silence us!\u201d Mentioning the Black Coalition for Rights<\/a>‘s campaign against the genocide of Brazil\u2019s black population<\/a>, Cunha explained that human rights are not secure as long as there is racism.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenocide is the deliberate extermination of people motivated by ethnic, national, racial, religious and sometimes socio-political differences. In Brazil, it is the result of the racism that shapes the State and society, which affects the police, businesses, political institutions and the population as a whole,\u201d says the Black Coalition for Rights’ website<\/a>, which reveals that 91% of children killed by \u201cstray bullets\u201d in Rio de Janeiro are black, like F\u00e9lix.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

#justi\u00e7apara\u00e1gatha#justi\u00e7apara\u00e1gatha Mix de emo\u00e7\u00f5es 😓✊🏾😓✊🏾✊🏾😓✊🏾Por\u00e9m n\u00e3o vou me calar. N\u00e3o posso me calar. J\u00e1 at\u00e9 me perguntaram se tenho medo que fa\u00e7am algo comigo, respondi voc\u00ea acha mesmo que tenho medo? Carreguei minha filha nove meses na barriga, senti dores, trabalhava subindo e descendo escada, chegava em casa cheia de dores nas costas, mas a sensa\u00e7\u00e3o era trabalhei mais um dia para garanti meu pagamento e comprar coisas para meu beb\u00ea que estava por vir, sentia felicidade \u00e0 cada m\u00eas que passava era a sensa\u00e7\u00e3o que logo logo eu conheceria seu rosto. Eu j\u00e1 sabia que ela viria linda, eu falava est\u00e1 me deixando feia para vir linda🤭. Mix de emo\u00e7\u00f5es ✊🏾😔😔✊🏾✊🏾😓😓 Por\u00e9m n\u00e3o vou me calar. N\u00e3o posso me calar. A espada est\u00e1 passando, quem me mant\u00e9m \u00e9 justo e n\u00e3o dorme. Eu vou ver a justi\u00e7a acontecer. Por que eu n\u00e3o estou dormindo estou agindo e DEUS providenciando a minha Vit\u00f3ria. Conto com todos para o Ato em mem\u00f3ria da minha filha Agatha Vit\u00f3ria, as 19h30 pelo meu Instagram. Mix de emo\u00e7\u00f5es ✊🏾😔😔✊🏾✊🏾😓😓 Por\u00e9m n\u00e3o vou me calar. N\u00e3o posso me calar. #justi\u00e7apara\u00e1gatha#justi\u00e7apara\u00e1gatha<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Vanessa Francisco<\/a> (@vanessaf.agatha) on