RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL - Last week, I was shocked when a group of right-wing Bolsonaro supporters showed up at my alma mater, PUC-Rio, and made jokes about the assassination of my former college classmate, Rio City Councilwoman Marielle Franco.
For the past five years, I have been working on a documentary about how Marielle became a symbol of resistance and how people across Brazil honor her in public memorials. At PUC-Rio, the largest student union building is named after her with a large mural outside of it. For many left-wing students at PUC, particularly those attending from favelas on scholarships, Marielle has become a source of inspiration.
When I saw videos of Bolsonaro supporters, I found it scary - would they attack those young students next?
"The right wing will return and take your place; you'll be left crying. Marielle is gone,” shouted one protester from atop a sound truck parked outside of the university.
My friend Leonardo Melo, who grew up with Marielle in the Maré favela and now works as a researcher at the university, was horrified by the act.
“Marielle was a student at PUC-Rio—a Black woman from a *favela* who gained access to the university through affirmative action policies. She was subsequently murdered by agents of the Brazilian state and became known worldwide,” Leo texted me last week. “Any rhetoric that trivializes the death of an individual—whoever they may be—is unacceptable.”
Her widow, Monica Bencico, who also graduated from PUC-RIO and was elected to Marielle’s seat on Rio City Council, took to the floor on Wednesday to denounce the act. She specifically denounced two Rio City Council members, Rafael Satie and Rogério Amorim of Bolsonaro’s PL Party, who stood next to the speaker at the rally and said nothing about the mocking of the murder of a fellow member of Rio’s City Council.
“I heard the expressions of outrage regarding the vandalism of this building—specifically the act of putting up posters—but I did not hear any such outrage concerning a former councilwoman,” Monica said while looking directly at the two right-wing city councilmen.
“Now, in the face of barbarism, murder, and disrespect, you choose to create a hierarchy—deciding what does or does not warrant your solidarity and respect. As a parliamentarian, as Marielle’s widow, as a woman from Rio, and as a Brazilian citizen who defends democracy—and who treats this space with the utmost seriousness—I must point out that you know I do not use my social media to sensationalize any issue,” said Monica.
“Therefore, I wish to express my profound repudiation of this disrespect and this selective approach to who deserves your solidarity and respect; after all, you also represent the people of Rio.”
A few days later, Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar mocked the assassination of Marielle Franco. Her sister Brazilian Congresswoman Anielle Franco was outraged.
“It is deplorable to see a man with so much visibility like Neymar treating with mockery a post about the death of a black woman who was murdered for defending her ideals” wrote Franco on Instagram. .”This is a shame for Brazilian sports!"
For the past week, I found myself pretty distraught by all this mocking of Marielle's death . I decided to go grab some beers with my buddy Lourenço Cezar, who grew up with Marielle in the favela of Maré and attended PUC-Rio with her on a scholarship.
I just couldn't understand why anyone who mock the assassination of Marielle. Lourenço Cezar, told me that its not the first time that the far right has gone to PUC to protest her, but part of a recurring pattern designed to intentionally attract social media attention.
“The far-right often organizes itself by fostering hatred toward someone,” said Lourenço. “So, Marielle is one of those targets.”
“But if you were to ask him, 'What exactly is it that you hate about Marielle?'—he wouldn't be able to say,” said Lourenço. “The whole point is just to show that they do hate her. They hate, and hate.”
Ultimately, Lourenço says the root of such hatred is something much deeper psychologically.
“It’s just a way for them to cause hurt. There’s no interest in convincing you to join their side,” says Lourenço. “It’s more like, 'Oh, you have to hate this person.’Because these are people,who aren’t happy.”
To learn more about Marielle's beautiful legacy, I hope folks check out my documentary, Marielle Vive!
