Racism in Brazil remains firm in its most violent face: counting the deaths of black people day after day. Cases of violence, as well as hunger, misery, unemployment, and lack of housing demonstrate how the crisis has its main victims, and it becomes increasingly evident who is more vulnerable, who carries with them a target, and who will not have access to rights. The inheritance of slavery and the consolidation of racism as a structuring element of the capitalist system leave only the politics of precariousness, incarceration, and death to maintain the profits of a bourgeoisie that is mostly white and racist.

The Moise Kabagambe case shocked the country once again. A young Congolese man of 24 years old, who came as a refugee with his family to Brazil. He left his country to try to survive and to have a future. Racism and xenophobia, however, took his life. The young immigrant was publicly tortured to death for demanding the payment of two late fees, amounting to 200 reais [40 dolars], at a kiosk called Tropicália in post 8 of Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro.

These are examples of a genocidal project of the black population in our country. The masks of the myth of democracy fall every day when we follow the maps of violence in several states, be it in the number of incarcerated people, victims of police violence, slaughters, and barbaric deaths due to racism, as was the case of Moise. The demonstration that this case highlights of how racism is naturalized is clear in every way.

This is how they treat young black men! Moise complained about a delay in his payment, and was publicly beaten and tied up. The humiliation of having to collect his own salary, and still being publicly tortured, as in slavery times, shows how racism in Brazil is still something very worrying! The killers didn’t seem embarrassed, because there is a strong naturalization of both the black labor as precarious and the silencing of these bodies, as well as the inhumane treatment that the racial and unequal structure of Brazil can provide,

The Brazilian State should take responsibility for Moise’s death and give her family all guarantees and rights. As well, the Tropicália Kiosk and the killers must also take responsibility. The message that we do not accept this kind of barbarism, has to be given, after all, many young refugees live in Brazil under a precarious work regime that led to the death of the young Congolese; many Africans who live here are treated in a humiliating way in workplaces, universities, and various sectors of our society. Our fight is for the black people, and we cannot accept that the racists in our country continue perpetuating this form of domination and aggression. The anti-racist struggle must expand every day, and the feeling of injustice that has shocked Brazil in recent days should serve as gasoline to ignite the feeling of indignation of the majority of the black working class in our country. We are willing to dispute in society that racism is still an evil rooted in Brazilian society, and that it has to be fought through the anti-racist struggle.

That is why next Saturday, 5th, we will be asking for Justice for Moise! There are already calls for acts in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The act to Rio de Janeiro is being called by the family, the Congolese community, the black movement, social movements, leftist parties, human rights organizations and a large part of the civil society. The act will take place near the Tropicália kiosk, where the crime took place, on post 8 in Barra da Tijuca.

JUSTICE FOR MOISE!

STOP KILLING US!

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