Protests, anger a month after Brazil activist slain

[Judi Lynn]

Protests, anger a month after Brazil activist slain
By Associated Press April 14 at 6:49 PM

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian protesters have taken to the streets of Rio de Janeiro by the thousands to demand answers in the slaying of a city councilwoman who was a prominent human rights activist, Marielle Franco.

Demonstrators stretched banners across some of the city’s iconic landmarks and spray-painted walls with slogans such as “Fight like a Marielle.”

Saturday’s protests come a month after Franco and her driver were shot dead. The activist had been critical of a security force takeover of policing in Rio and many of her backers have called the slaying a political assassination.

Authorities say surveillance footage shows two vehicles followed Franco’s car and they are trying to trace fingerprints from shell casings found at the scene.

Franco’s sister and the wife of driver Anderson Pedro Gomes joined the march.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/protests-anger-a-month-after-brazil-activist-slain/2018/04/14/1dcdb7a2-4036-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.eec5e028a333

(Short article, no more at link.)

[Judi Lynn]

1. 'I'm waiting for her to come back': Marielle Franco's fiancee on life a month after Rio councillor's

'I'm waiting for her to come back': Marielle Franco's fiancee on life a month after Rio councillor's murder
Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro

Fri 13 Apr 2018 06.09 EDT
Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro

Mônica Benício was due to marry the black feminist LGBT activist next year before she was shot down in a Brazilian street. Her killing has sparked an outpouring of reverence and revolt

It has been a month since the late-night knock at Mônica Benício’s door: a friend arriving to announce the love of her life was not coming home.

“I ran at her shouting: ‘Where’s Marielle? Where’s Marielle?’” the 32-year-old architect recalled.

“I screamed and I shouted. I smashed part of the house … None of it seemed real … It was like I was having a nightmare and would wake up at any moment. But as more and more friends arrived it became more and more real. More concrete. More desperate.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/13/marielle-franco-fiancee-rio-brazil-monica-benicio

[Judi Lynn]

2. Rio protesters demand answers in activists slaying

Thousands have turned out in Rio de Janeiro, demanding answers in the death of city councilwoman Marielle Franco, who had been a fierce critic of police brutality, racism and discrimination against the poor. No arrests have been made in the case.

Date 15.04.2018

Video at link:

http://www.dw.com/en/rio-protesters-demand-answers-in-activists-slaying/av-43393474