RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Carrefour Brasil announced on Saturday, November 21st, that the November 20th sales proceeds of Carrefour Hypermarkets stores in Brazil will be donated to organizations linked to the fight for black awareness, a position taken after the reckless murder of a black man in one of the chain’s stores, in Porto Alegre.
In a press release, the retailer stated that Black Awareness Day, celebrated the day before in several cities in Brazil, should be marked by the awareness of the inclusion of blacks in society, but “was the saddest in the history of Carrefour”.
On Thursday, João Alberto Silveira Freitas was beaten to death at the Carrefour store in the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, allegedly after he argued with a supermarket cashier who then called the store security.
Footage of the violent incident was widely shared on social media on Friday, sparking protests and attacks on Carrefour stores in several locations across the country, leading to boycott requests against the retail chain, in addition to anti-racism rallies.
“Words do not convey our distress with the brutality. We will provide all the support to João Alberto Silveira Freitas’s family and, in his honor, our store in Passo D’Areia closed yesterday and will remain closed today”, stated Carrefour.
“Moreover, the entire proceeds of the November 20th sales of Carrefour Hypermarkets stores will be donated to organizations linked to the fight for black awareness,” it added.
Carrefour further said that the stores will open later on Saturday to reinforce “antiracist training with all our employees and third parties”.
The disclosure of these initiatives comes after Carrefour’s CEO Alexandre Bompard commented on Twitter. “Internal measures were immediately taken by the Carrefour Brasil Group, mainly with respect to the outsourced security company. These measures are insufficient. My values, and Carrefour’s, do not concur with racism and violence.”
He also asked the Brazilian branch to conduct “a complete review of training initiatives for employees and third parties, with a focus on safety, respect for diversity and the values of respect and repudiation of intolerance.”
Entrepreneur Abilio Diniz, a member of the Carrefour Brasil Board of Directors and one of the company’s shareholders, also made a statement on Twitter, classifying Freitas’ death as a “tragedy and tremendous brutality”. “I urged the company to spare no efforts and work tirelessly to ensure that tragic events like this are never again repeated in Brazil,” he wrote.
The footage of the beating shows Freitas being attacked by two men, identified as Magno Braz Borges, security guard for Carrefour Passo D’Areia, and Giovani Gaspar da Silva, an off-duty state police officer. According to witnesses, Silva was shopping when he was involved in the beating.
Freitas is shown being grabbed by one of the men while the other punches him in the head. Then, one of the men kneels on the victim’s back while the other continues beating him. The police were called after Freitas was already motionless. An ambulance was also called, but Freitas was dead. The two assailants were arrested in the act and charged with triple counts of murder.
Carrefour was also pressured by AMBEV. In a social media post, the beverage company claims to be in mourning for the brutal murder of João Alberto Silveira Freitas. “For all of us, our employees and the black community, the sadness, frustration and fear produced by recurrent acts of violence like this are deep and personal. We are committed to helping create positive change and a world where diversity and respect are the norm,” wrote the company.
The manufacturer also called on Carrefour to provide explanations and implement immediate and effective measures. “We have a non-negotiable commitment to promote racial equity throughout our ecosystem, which includes our partners, customers and suppliers,” AMBEV wrote.