{"id":74238,"date":"2023-03-27T07:23:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T10:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=74238"},"modified":"2023-03-29T09:27:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T12:27:45","slug":"justice-for-marielle-festival-unites-artists-and-civil-society-to-remember-5-years-without-justice-and-demand-answers-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=74238","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Justice for Marielle\u2019 Festival Unites Artists and Civil Society to Remember 5 Years Without Justice and Demand Answers [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Luedji Luna performs at the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival, held by the Marielle Franco Institute on March 14, 2023, five years after the councilor\u2019s assassination. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

On March 14, the Marielle Franco Institute<\/a> held the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival<\/a> in Pra\u00e7a Mau\u00e1<\/a>, downtown Rio de Janeiro. The event aimed<\/a> to ensure the assassination of City Councilor Marielle Franco<\/a> and her driver Anderson Gomes<\/a>\u2014which happened five years ago and remains unsolved<\/a>\u2014isn’t forgotten.<\/h4>\n
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The audience concentrated and in silence, following the speeches at the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival at Pra\u00e7a Mau\u00e1. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marielle Franco was a sociologist with a master’s degree in public administration. She was elected to the Rio de Janeiro City Council<\/a> with 46,502 votes<\/a>. As president of the Council’s Commission for the Defense of Women’s Rights<\/a>, she fought for<\/a> the rights of Black women and LGBTQIAP+<\/a> people until her execution on March 14, 2018, in a political attack during which 13 gunshots hit her vehicle, killer her and her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Justice for Marielle and Anderson Committee\u2014comprising the Marielle Franco Institute and her family, the mandate of Marielle\u2019s widow M\u00f4nica Ben\u00edcio<\/a>, Anderson Gomes\u2019 widow Agatha Reis<\/a>, Global Justice<\/a>, Terra de Direitos<\/a>, Black Coalition for Rights<\/a>, and Amnesty International<\/a>\u2014was created to closely follow every step of the investigations<\/a>, resisting attempts to interfere in the case<\/a>, and coordinating actions around the world to demand justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The audience demands justice for Marielle and Anderson at the festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two people were arrested in March 2019<\/a> for the double homicide of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes: Ronnie Lessa, a retired military policeman, and \u00c9lcio Queiroz, a former military policeman. They are accused of committing the crimes and are currently detained while awaiting trial by jury. The case was neglected by the Bolsonaro<\/a> administration and gained momentum again at the beginning of Lula<\/a>\u2019s term, with Lula appointing Marielle’s sister, Anielle Franco<\/a>, as Minister of Racial Equality<\/a>. In February of this year, Fl\u00e1vio Dino<\/a>, head of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security<\/a>, ordered the Federal Police<\/a> to open an inquiry to investigate \u201call circumstances surrounding the offense.\u201d However there has been no new information in relation to the masterminds of the crime. The federal investigation is being kept under lock and key.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival started at 6pm, with performances by artists Marcelo D2<\/a>, Djonga<\/a>, Luedji Luna<\/a>, Bia Ferreira<\/a>, Azula<\/a>, Baile Black Bom<\/a>, Deize Tigrona<\/a>, DJ Tamy<\/a>, Abrona<\/a> and Shury<\/a>, Bateria da Mangueira<\/a> and Marina Iris<\/a>, Orquestra Mar\u00e9 do Amanh\u00e3<\/a>, Nenhum a Menos, the choir Talentos do Morro<\/a>, and a special guest performance by Criolo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Baile Black Bom performs at the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marielle’s family stood up to talk to the press at around 6pm. Minister Anielle Franco reflected on being there to mark the longing, struggle, and pain after five years of suffering in search of answers. She revealed she’d taken part in a ministerial meeting with Lula in Bras\u00edlia that very morning of March 14, in which the president reinforced the federal government\u2019s and Justice Minister Fl\u00e1vio Dino\u2019s commitment to the investigation and final resolution of the case. And that this is all heartening, as it has taken five years for a president to provide this support to the two families.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The family speaks to the press: from left to right, Marinete da Silva (mother), Ant\u00f4nio Francisco da Silva Neto (father), Ligia Batista (director of Marielle Franco Institute), Luyara Satos (daughter), and Anielle Franco (sister) in the back, giving an interview to the press before the festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new executive director of the Marielle Franco Institute, Ligia Batista<\/a>, was also introduced to the audience at that time. Batista emphasized the importance of the current political moment. She shared that the institute, along with other organizations that make up the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Committee, have held several meetings over the last few weeks with the Public Prosecutor’s Office<\/a>, Federal Police<\/a>, and the Supreme Court (STJ<\/a>) to highlight the need for answers and demand the authorities’ commitment to the investigation. They also requested that the families\u2019 legal representatives have access to the investigation records. These efforts are all necessary because, in five years, those who ordered the killings have still to be identified. After the press conference, the festival began with performances by Orquestra Mar\u00e9 do Amanh\u00e3, Nenhum a Menos, and Talentos do Morro.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Talentos do Morro, one of the first performances at the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was significant audience participation at the event, with audience members calling for justice\u2014through t-shirts, flags, posters, or with their own voices. We talked to film and cinema student Ana Luiza, 23, who spoke of the importance of being at the festival.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>I am here demanding justice for Marielle and for all Black women who fight. I\u2019m from Rio de Janeiro and when I found out about Marielle\u2019s death, I was at home and I remember crying a lot because of it. I was 18 years old.\u201d \u2014 Ana Luiza<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Cinema and visual arts student Ana Luiza taking part in the festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upon taking the stage, Sami Brasil<\/a> from Baile Black Bom recalled that Marielle was very present in Rio culture and nothing could be more fitting than cultural movements demanding justice for her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>Baile Black Bom was born<\/span>\u00a0here in the <\/span>Little Africa<\/a> region, in the Pedra do Sal Quilombo<\/a>, filling the streets with Black music<\/a> and afro-entrepreneurship for ten years. It was in this same territory that we met Marielle Franco, a figure present in the culture of Rio, a figure present in our daily lives of Black activism, and that is why, [because] she is always present, that nothing is more fitting than culture being here today\u2026 five years is a long time! So, today we will scream and demand justice for Marielle and Anderson with our art and our power. We demand answers and we want to know who ordered the killings of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes?<\/a>\u201d \u2014 Sami Brasil<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Bia Ferreira performs at the Justice for Marielle and Anderson Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Singer Bia Ferreira also shared her message.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have they been telling our story?
\n<\/span>How long have they been constructing our memory?
\nI came to tell you that just as surely as now,
\nwe will be on the lines that count our victory.
\nLet us tell our story!
\nWe represent ourselves, we receive the glories,
\nwe learn from each other and, as surely as now,
\nwe will be on the lines that tell our story!
\nWe will not accept being interrupted!<\/a>
\nMarielle Franco [is] present!
\nSay no to racism<\/a>, say no to prejudice,
\nsay no to the genocide of Black and indigenous people,
\nsay no to racist police,
\nsay no to this fascist militarization<\/a>…
\nSay no!
\nDon’t just watch a lot of people cry while you’re laughing.
\nSay no!” \u2014 Bia Ferreira<\/p><\/blockquote>\n