Thousands Protest Killing Of Congolese Refugee In Brazil

Thousands of people protested across the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo on Sunday after the murder of a 24-year-old Congolese refugee.

Protests were also held in Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Salvador, the capital of Brasilia, and at least seven other Brazilian cities.

The Refugee, Moise Mugenyi Kabagambe was beaten to death last month, as he was assaulted by three men at a beach kiosk where he used to work.

The attack was caught on security camera footage that police released to the public. The video showed the assailants attacking the young man for over 13 minutes, holding him down and beating him with a rod.

Carla Lima, a lawyer who participated in the protests said in a statement; “He was treated like an animal, like a thing, just because he was claiming two days of overdue wages, some $20.”

“We are all here because we want Black people to be treated like humans. Moise could have been my son, my brother, my cousin.”

In recent years, Brazil has seen an increase in arrivals of Congolese and Cameroonian refugees seeking to go through its border to the United States.

According to the justice ministry, which oversees immigration, more than 2,500 Congolese have been recognised as refugees in the Latin America’s largest nation since 2000.