Although Carnaval is generally looked upon as a time of joy, revelry and celebration, as this site and key black activists have pointed out, what happens during Carnaval is simply a representation of what happens in the society throughout the year. There is racist treatment is terms of with whom and where people can celebrate, a sort of Apartheid type division in the crowd and even invisibility of black Carnaval entertainers in comparison to whiter, more media-promoted artists. It was true last year as previous years and continues to be true: even during the biggest party of the year, blacks are treated as second-class citizens, even in a city where they are the vast majority.
Carnaval: Observatory has 402 cases of racism
by Brasil 24/7
“Salvador is indeed a racist city, just look at the numbers recorded here during Carnival, placing this crime at 81% of the occurrences. We need to change this.” Lamenting these stats is the deputy mayor and the militant of the Movimento Negro (black movement), CéliaSacramento, of the PV (Partido Verde/Green Party). The Observatório da Discriminação Racial(Observatory of Racial Discrimination), Violência contra a Mulher (Violence Against Women) and LGBT recorded a total of 544 acts of violence and discrimination, with racism leading with 73.89% of cases.
It should not be, but Salvador, which has the largest black population in Latin America, “is indeed a racist city,” fumed the deputy mayor and Movimento Negro militant Célia Sacramento (PV).
The Observatory of Racial Discrimination, Violence Against Women and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) recorded an increase of 15.8% of occurrences compared to last year, with a total of 544 acts of violence and discrimination.
Saturday was the day in which the most data was presented, with 143 incidents, most of which happening in of the Circuito Osmar in the Campo Grande area.
Despite the popular character of the party and the predominance of blacks in the city, of the three focuses of the research, racism led with 73.89% of the data which represents 402 reports, with emphasis on the social vulnerability of black men and women in the revelry, followed by aggression.
Another important finding was the recording of 18 allegations of racism that must be investigates by relevant authorities, based on information from accusers.
Aggression was the category with the most evidence focusing on violence against women, however, with numerous campaigns in regards to women, there was a slight decrease in reported cases compared to the 2012 edition of the Observatory, presenting this year a total of 112 occurrences, with four denouncements.
Racist city
In an interview with the website Política Livre, the deputy mayor Célia Sacramento (PV – Partido Verde or Green Party) lamented that the numbers reflect discrimination and said that Salvador is one of the most racist cities in the world. “Salvador is, indeed a racist city, just look at the numbers recorded here during Carnival, placing this crime at 81% of cases. We need to change that.”
Source: Brasil 24/7
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