Christ the Redeemer: Turning off the Lights in Solidarity with Vini Jr
On Monday night, Christ the Redeemer, one of the most imposing and iconic architectural works in the world, had its lights turned off in a gesture of solidarity with the player Vini Jr. The player was again the target of racist attacks during a match of the 35th round of the Spanish championship.
Photo Reproduction / TV Globo
The Christ the Redeemer is one of the most iconic and imposing architectural works in the world. Located at the top of Corcovado Mountain, in Rio de Janeiro, the religious monument is one of the main tourist attractions in the country, attracting thousands of visitors daily. In a gesture of solidarity with the player Vinicius Junior, star of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, the monument had its lights turned off for an hour on Monday night (22). The symbolic gesture occurred due to the player having again suffered racist attacks this weekend during a match against Valencia in the Spanish league.
"The Cristo Redentor Archdiocesan Sanctuary repudiates the racist attacks suffered by the Brazilian player Vinícius Júnior this Sunday, May 21, during a game between Real Madrid and Valencia. lighting turned off as a symbol of the collective struggle against racism and in solidarity with the player and all those who suffer prejudice around the world", communicated the sanctuary, in a note
The Nucleus of Sport and Faith of the Sanctuary, together with the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football, is promoting a joint action. Father Omar, rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Christ the Redeemer, also commented on the subject, recalling a biblical quote: "We are all created in the image and likeness of God."
Offenses against the player
On Sunday (21), there was a confrontation between Real Madrid and Valencia during the 35th round of the Spanish Championship. Unfortunately, at the start of the match, Vinicius was again the target of racist attacks. Some Valencia fans began referring to the athlete with pejorative terms such as "mono" (monkey in Spanish) and continued with these offenses throughout the game.
Repercussion
The disgusting attitude was condemned both by the home team and by several personalities from the world of football, demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible. Valencia had previously been punished for cases of racial discrimination, which shows that there is still much to be done to eradicate this type of behavior in Spanish stadiums.
After the game, Real Madrid striker shared in one of his social networks that racism has been a recurring occurrence in The league and expressed regret for Spaniards who do not share that view. In addition, the player also declared that the championship that was once represented by Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi is now dominated by racist individuals. Then several players, athletes, authorities and personalities demonstrated on the networks in defense of the player.
The Ministry of Racial Equality previously announced its intention to send notifications to the Spanish authorities and to La Liga, the organization responsible for the Spanish football league. This Monday (22), the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva released a note of vehement repudiation of the racist attacks directed at the Brazilian player Vinicius Jr., from Real Madrid, during the Spanish league games. In addition, the government defended the application of exemplary punishments by Spanish football entities.
The statement was jointly signed by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Racial Equality, Sport, and Human Rights and Citizenship. In it, the government requests that "government and sports authorities in Spain" act to punish those responsible for acts of racism and prevent their recurrence. Also in the note, the Brazilian government specifically mentions the International Football Federation (FIFA), the Spanish Federation and "LaLiga", a name used to refer to the main division of the Spanish championship.
This Monday morning, Real Madrid also filed a formal complaint with the Attorney General of Spain, reporting cases of hate crimes and discrimination against Vinícius Jr, a Brazilian player who currently defends the Spanish club.
