Brazil: Death of 5-year-old boy sparks fresh anti-racism protests

A five-year-old black boy has died in Recife, Brazil, sparking fresh anti-racism protests in the country. Miguel de Silva, son of a domestic help died, on June 6, after falling from a building allegedly due to carelessness of a ‘white woman’. This comes as anti-racism protests, which started following the death of George Floyd, have worsened in Brazil. 

Footage from the building’s security camera shows the five-year-old falling from the top floor of the apartment where his mother worked as domestic help. According to reports, Miguel's mother left him in the company of her employer, a white woman, while she stepped out to walk the family's dog. As per the footage, the white woman pressed the lift button to send unaccompanied Miguel to the building's top floor, following which he died after slipping from the balcony. 

Soon after his death, hundreds of people carrying placards and posters with ‘black lives matter’ written gathered on the streets of the city. According to International media reports, the demonstrators were seen wearing face mask to avoid coronavirus in one of the worst-hit nations.

Read: London Police Says At Least 23 Officers Injured During 'Black Lives Matter' Protests

'Black Lives Matter' 

Meanwhile, the demonstrations supporting the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement have united the world amid the coronavirus outbreak. While the outraged people are being advised by the governments to adhere to social distancing rules, thousands of people are flooding the streets in global rallies against racial biases that have long paralysed the minorities in various countries. 

Read: Protesters Topple Confederate Statue In Virginia Capital

From Asian to European countries, slogans of “we want justice, we want equality” have been echoing especially over the weekend. One of the speakers at a protest organised outside the parliament in London said, “It is time to burn down institutional racism”. United Nations has also called out on the US to systematically address the discrimination in the country based on skin colour. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged citizens to find a “better way” to voice their disagreement and cited the fear of a surge in COVID-19 cases. This is how the protests turned out across the globe, especially over the weekend.

Read: George Floyd Protests: From UK To Australia, World Unites To Raise Voice Against Racism

Read: Australian FM Mathias Cormann Lashes Out At Protesters For Mass Gatherings Amid COVID-19

(With inputs from AP)

Image credits: Twitter/ rhaellass