The lights of the iconic Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro were turned off for one hour on Monday night to show solidarity with Brazil striker Vinicius Junior, who was subjected to racist abuse during a domestic match in Spain.
And it was decided to turn off the lights at 6 pm local time, to conclude a day witnessed by the Brazilian government and the football world to condemn the racist abuse that the Real Madrid player was subjected to while playing in the hospitality of Valencia in the Spanish First Division last Sunday.
The diocese, which manages the statue, cooperated with the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Observatory for Racial Discrimination in Football in this act of solidarity.
And the diocese said on “Instagram”: The Diocese of Christ denounces the racist attacks against the Brazilian player Vinicius Junior, and the lights of the statue will be turned off as a symbol of the collective struggle against racism and in solidarity with the player and everyone who suffers from discrimination around the world.
The Brazilian government called on the Spanish authorities and sports authorities to punish those responsible for the “racist attacks” against the player, at a time when FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his solidarity and support for the Real striker.
Other sports personalities such as Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand and Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton also expressed their support for Vinicius.
The 22-year-old Brazil international put a shadow image of the statue in front of the moon on Twitter and expressed his gratitude for the support.
