• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

Brazil Rocked After LGBT City Councillor Marielle Franco is Shot to Death in Targeted Assassination

March 15, 2018 by Andy Towle Leave a Comment

Marielle Franco by Mídia NINJA (CC BY SA 2.0)

Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco was killed in a suspected assassination on Wednesday night, shot multiple times in the head by attackers in a car that had pulled up next to hers.

Franco identified as LGBT and was an activist against police violence. Franco’s driver was killed. Her press secretary was injured.

Protests are planned across the country, according to The Guardian:

Marielle Franco was a groundbreaking politician who had become a voice for disadvantaged people in the teeming favelas that are home to almost one-quarter of Rio de Janeiro’s population, where grinding poverty, police brutality and shootouts with drug gangs are routine.

Richard Nunes, Rio’s head of public security, said there would be a “full investigation” into the deaths, which came despite the military taking charge of policing the city last month after a surge in violence.

Two police officials told Associated Press that two men in a car fired nine shots into the vehicle carrying Franco and her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes. A press officer in the back seat was injured, but survived, the officials said. Both officials said it appeared Franco was targeted.

Buzzfeed News reports:

She was particularly known for speaking out against police violence and for social work in the poorest areas of a city, where Brazil’s army has been responsible for policing since February after a surge in violence.

In a statement, her party, known by the initials PSOL in Brazil, said it could not rule out the fact she was assassinated.

“We demand an immediate and rigorous investigation of this heinous crime. We will not shut up.” the statement said.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted about the incident: “Marielle was a black, LGBT woman raised in one of Rio’s poorest favelas, became a human rights activist, joined the socialist PSOL party, was elected in 2016 with a massive vote to Rio City Council. Among her primary work was police violence & extra-judicial murders. So horrible.. It was a clear execution: her car was pummeled with 9 shots, 5 of which entered her head. Also killed was her dedicated driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes. She had a 19-year-old daughter, an amazing girlfriend & family. The political consequences will be strong.”

It was a clear execution: her car was pummeled with 9 shots, 5 of which entered her head. Also killed was her dedicated driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes. She had a 19-year-old daughter, an amazing girlfriend & family. The political consequences will be strong https://t.co/RLXLqwrXPI

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 15, 2018

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: brazil, Deaths, Marielle Franco, Rio de Janeiro

Recent Posts

  • Justin Timberlake, ‘The Apprentice’, John Foley, Cher, Jeremy Bulloch, Chaz Bono, Eric Garcetti, Denver Riggleman: HOT LINKS

    Justin Timberlake, ‘The Apprentice’, John Foley, Cher, Jeremy Bulloch, Chaz Bono, Eric Garcetti, Denver Riggleman: HOT LINKS

    7 hours ago
  • 11 Drag Queens Take On Meryl Streep’s Iconic Roles in Performance of The Prom’s ‘It’s Not About Me’ — WATCH

    11 Drag Queens Take On Meryl Streep’s Iconic Roles in Performance of The Prom’s ‘It’s Not About Me’ — WATCH

    10 hours ago
  • Acting Defense Sec’y Chris Miller Orders Pentagon to Stop Cooperating with Biden Transition Team

    Acting Defense Sec’y Chris Miller Orders Pentagon to Stop Cooperating with Biden Transition Team

    10 hours ago
  • HRC Calls on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Apologize for Ridiculing Gender Pronouns in Series of Tweets

    HRC Calls on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Apologize for Ridiculing Gender Pronouns in Series of Tweets

    11 hours ago
Previous Post: « Matt Wilkas (Gus Kenworthy’s BF) and Daniel Vincent Gordh Launch New Gay Web Series: WATCH
Next Post: Kendall Jenner: ‘I Don’t Think I Have a Bisexual or Gay Bone in My Body’ »

Primary Sidebar

  • Justin Timberlake, ‘The Apprentice’, John Foley, Cher, Jeremy Bulloch, Chaz Bono, Eric Garcetti, Denver Riggleman: HOT LINKS

  • 11 Drag Queens Take On Meryl Streep’s Iconic Roles in Performance of The Prom’s ‘It’s Not About Me’ — WATCH

  • Acting Defense Sec’y Chris Miller Orders Pentagon to Stop Cooperating with Biden Transition Team

Recent Posts

  • Justin Timberlake, ‘The Apprentice’, John Foley, Cher, Jeremy Bulloch, Chaz Bono, Eric Garcetti, Denver Riggleman: HOT LINKS

    Justin Timberlake, ‘The Apprentice’, John Foley, Cher, Jeremy Bulloch, Chaz Bono, Eric Garcetti, Denver Riggleman: HOT LINKS

    7 hours ago
  • 11 Drag Queens Take On Meryl Streep’s Iconic Roles in Performance of The Prom’s ‘It’s Not About Me’ — WATCH

    11 Drag Queens Take On Meryl Streep’s Iconic Roles in Performance of The Prom’s ‘It’s Not About Me’ — WATCH

    10 hours ago
  • Acting Defense Sec’y Chris Miller Orders Pentagon to Stop Cooperating with Biden Transition Team

    Acting Defense Sec’y Chris Miller Orders Pentagon to Stop Cooperating with Biden Transition Team

    10 hours ago
  • HRC Calls on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Apologize for Ridiculing Gender Pronouns in Series of Tweets

    HRC Calls on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Apologize for Ridiculing Gender Pronouns in Series of Tweets

    11 hours ago
  • Dr. Jill Biden Tells Stephen Colbert She Was Surprised by Tone of Attacks on Her Title; President-Elect Calls Lindsey Graham a ‘Personal Disappointment’ in Wide-Ranging Interview: WATCH

    Dr. Jill Biden Tells Stephen Colbert She Was Surprised by Tone of Attacks on Her Title; President-Elect Calls Lindsey Graham a ‘Personal Disappointment’ in Wide-Ranging Interview: WATCH

    11 hours ago
  • Police Investigating Hate Crime After Gay Couple Finds Gingerbread Men Xmas Decorations Smeared with Feces, Placed Near Pride Flag

    Police Investigating Hate Crime After Gay Couple Finds Gingerbread Men Xmas Decorations Smeared with Feces, Placed Near Pride Flag

    12 hours ago
  • Democrats Urged to Fight for Bigger Relief Checks as Lame-Duck Trump Privately Backs Payments as Big as $2,000

    Democrats Urged to Fight for Bigger Relief Checks as Lame-Duck Trump Privately Backs Payments as Big as $2,000

    13 hours ago
  • Michael Flynn: Trump Can Take Military and Re-Run Election in Swing States — WATCH

    Michael Flynn: Trump Can Take Military and Re-Run Election in Swing States — WATCH

    13 hours ago
  • Mike Pence Receives COVID Vaccine: LIVE VIDEO

    Mike Pence Receives COVID Vaccine: LIVE VIDEO

    13 hours ago
  • Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    1 day ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2020 · Log in