Brazil remembers slain politician 1 year after her death

(14 Mar 2019) Thousands of people gathered in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Thursday to pay homage to a black city councilwoman who was gunned down one year ago in a brazen killing that has sparked nationwide outrage. Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were killed in central Rio on the evening of March 14, 2018 while returning from an event focused on empowering young black women. Authorities this week arrested two former police officers for the murders, but the case continues to highlight deep corruption in Brazil and there are unanswered questions about who ordered the hit and why. Vigils, lectures and protests were also planned for Franco in Stockholm, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Bogota, Lisbon, Berlin, London and several cities in the United States. Earlier  in the day, some women  placed flowers in a line of vases, lit candles and demanded accountability and prayed. Commemorations then continued with a service at a Catholic Church in downtown Rio. Franco's mother, Marinete da Silva, said her daughter had "become a symbol of resistance all over the world." Followers of  Afro-Brazilian religions wore traditional white garb, sang chants, and held signs reading "Marielle is present" and "For black mothers." In the afternoon a concert was held to commemorate the anniversary of her death with thousands gathered to listen to music. Franco was a member of the left-leaning Socialism and Liberty Party and was known for her work in shantytowns and her outspokenness against police violence, which disproportionately affects black residents in a country where more than 50 percent of people identify as black or mixed-race. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/102011028589719587178/+APArchive​ Tumblr: https://aparchives.tumblr.com/​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/96ad9eb2464567500d4945abfa5fe72f