Carrying national banners and flags of the Black movement, the demonstrators demanded a country with democracy and without racism​

Brasilia, November 21 (RHC)-- Collectives, associations and other groups that make up the Black Movement in Brazil took to the streets of major cities this Sunday and held the Black Consciousness Day March, which this time took place in the context of the transition to the government of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Carrying national banners and flags of the Black movement, the demonstrators demanded a country with democracy and without racism, the end of genocide against Black people and the death of Blacks in the poorest sectors of the cities as a result of police operations.

According to the press media, they also demanded that Lula put into practice during his coming term of office the ideas he promoted throughout his campaign, the recreation of the Ministry of Racial Equality and greater diversity in other areas of the Government.

A member of the Unified Black Movement, in São Paulo (SP), Dennis Oliveira, expressed that "there is the expectation that Lula's new government will have a greater participation of people from the Black movement and the resumption of affirmative policies."

A member of the Black Coalition for Rights and of the working group on racial equality of the transition team, Douglas Belchior, stated that "the government must be supported so that Lula can achieve what he has been saying, which is to do more than what he has done in other governments" regarding the racial agenda.

Through his social networks, Lula expressed that this date marks a sad page in the history of Brazil. He added that "there still exists a silent and complicit racism, which is expressed in the opportunities denied to most people because of the color of their skin."  He stressed that "if the country wants a future with justice and democracy, it will have to be anti-racist", with a society that "cultivates love and respect, with equal rights and opportunities."

In parallel with the street events, this Sunday the thematic group on racial equality of the transitional government asked the other groups to incorporate the dimension of the anti-racist struggle into the suggestions for the action plan of the new government.  The Working Group on Racial Equality emphasized the need to consider racism as a structural phenomenon, the consequences of which have been increasing in the country.