Artists call for protest against racist speeches by councilor in São Paulo

Artists are calling fans on the Pagode Consciente profile, on Instagram, for an act against racism “Coisa de Preto”, this Thursday (19), at 10 am, in front of the City Hall. They claim that the protest is a response to racist speeches by councilor Camilo Cristófaro (Avante) and ask for his impeachment.

Singers Netinho de Paulo, Claudinho de Oliveira (ex-Soweto) and Leandro Lehart (Art Popular) are some of the celebrities who are calling for the protest. “The act has a lot of representation and my councilor friends and companions in the Chamber will support it because they do not condone prejudice”, says Netinho, singer and former councilman.

Singer Royce do Cavaco says that everyone’s participation in the protest is very important.”It is an act against racism, discrimination against black citizens, against the black community and also abhorring any act against samba, our popular cultures and demonstrations. cultures of our Brazil.”

Sought by the F5, the councilor said that he played a joke with Anderson Xuxu, head of the Ipiranga subprefecture, who is black, in a car shed about cleaning the place: “That’s something for black people”. But Cristófaro explained that he often plays with Anderson, who calls him “bald and old”.

Cristófaro stated that he is not racist and that 70% of the people who accompany him are black.” A mistake, I made a mistake. I apologize to the entire black population for this episode that destroys all my political construction in the search for guaranteeing the citizenship of people from São Paulo”, he said.

The councilor also said that, despite the racist speech, he is not a racist person in attitudes and with time people will have the opportunity to verify this. “I come from a generation where jokes were normal and I need to go through a deconstruction of these prejudices.”

Councilwoman Elaine do Quilombo Periférico (PSOL) was appointed on Tuesday (17) as rapporteur for the impeachment process of councilor Camilo Cristófaro (Avante), who used a racist expression in a session of the House.

On May 3, Cristófaro was caught during a virtual session of the Chamber using the expression “it’s a black thing”, when talking to an interlocutor.

He apologized, but that did not prevent disciplinary proceedings from being opened against the councilor, who is at risk of impeachment. The councilor will have ten days, extendable for another ten days, to produce the document.