The lights of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were turned off for one hour last night, in solidarity with Real Madrid and Brazil national team striker Vinicius Junior, who was once again subjected to racist abuse during the away game. Spain vs Valencia (0:1).
This action was organized in collaboration between the Archdiocese of Christ the Redeemer, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), and the Football Racial Discrimination Observatory. The lights were turned off between 18:00 and 19:00 local time, informs UOL.
Organizations of the action described it as “a symbol of the collective struggle against racism and a sign of solidarity with the player and all those suffering from prejudice around the world”.
Vinicius was sent off in the second added minute of the match against Valencia for hitting defender Hugo Duro, who had previously grabbed the Brazilian by the neck from behind. At the same time, the Valencia player was freed from the penalty. The Real Madrid winger was nervous during the match when rival fans shouted “monkey” slogans at him.
Former President of Spain Pedro Sanchez requested “Zero tolerance” to racism after Vinicius’ insults.