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Protests after fatal blows in Porto Alegre
Photo: Gustavo Aguirre / picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com
A deadly attack by supermarket security guards on a black man sparked outrage in Brazil.
João Alberto Silveira Freitas was beaten and brutally beaten by two security guards on Thursday evening (local time) in front of a Carrefour supermarket in Porto Alegre in the south of the country.
The 40-year-old died at the scene of his injuries.
The Brazilian news site "G1" reported that the incident followed a confrontation between Freitas and a supermarket employee.
This called the security service.
The two alleged perpetrators were white, reported "G1".
Supermarket temporarily closed
Carrefour said it regretted the incident and said support was given to the victim's family.
The chain announced that it would end its contract with the security company, suspend the store manager and temporarily close the supermarket.
According to the police, one of the suspects was an off-duty military police officer.
The act of violence occurred the day before the so-called Black Awareness Day on Friday, which commemorates the contribution of blacks to the culture and identity of Brazil.
Discrimination against blacks is widespread in the Latin American country.
Brazil was the last country in the western world to abolish slavery.
To date, there are great inequalities between the white and black population, who make up 56 percent of the total population.
On average, black Brazilians only earn half as much as white Brazilians.
They also have a shorter life expectancy and, according to human rights activists, are repeatedly victims of discrimination.
The right-wing populist President Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly expressed himself racist.
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bbr / dpa / AP