Shadowy group says it attacked Brazil's 'gay Jesus' comedy troupe; police investigate

Record ID: 1450316

  • Title: Shadowy group says it attacked Brazil's 'gay Jesus' comedy troupe; police investigate
  • Date: 26th December 2019
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (DECEMBER 26, 2019) (REUTERS) JOAO VICENTE DE CASTRO, MEMBER OF PORTA DOS FUNDOS, ARRIVING AT BRAZILIAN POLICE BUILDING VARIOUS OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE MEMBER OF PORTA DOS FUNDOS AND BRAZILIAN POLICE OFFICERS DE CASTRO READIES TO OFFER NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MEMBER OF PORTA DOS FUNDOS, JOAO VICENTE DE CASTRO, SAYING: "I don't think we are talking here about the Porta dos Fundos company, what we are talking about is freedom of expression. I think that what happened here it is a violent act and we will not allow this to happen. We trust in the police work, that's why we came here to have this meeting today, because we trust civil police work and that's it. Rio de Janeiro does not need more violence, no more violent groups and we must cut this evil by the root. What happened, certainly, was an attack on freedom of expression". DE CASTRO LEAVING THE NEWS CONFERENCE FABIO BARUQUE, BRAZILIAN POLICE DEPUTY SECRETARY, SPEAKING AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN POLICE DEPUTY SECRETARY, FABIO BARUQUE, SAYING: "In principle it (the attack) has not been classified as terrorism, it has not been classified as such but we do not rule out any hypothesis. The intention of the suspects? Of course, we have no way of reproducing what the agents intended. We have to work with the facts and the facts so far, what happened, was an explosion inside a particular unit that generated a concrete danger to the life of a person who was there (watchman) who really suffered a murder attempt. In principle, the fact is analyzed as an explosion and attempted murder and nothing can be ruled out". POLICE AND MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN POLICE DEPUTY SECRETARY, FABIO BARUQUE, SAYING: "The video (which circulates on the Internet) is true. What is not known is if it really was the group that did it. The video is true but the group that calls himself Integralista says that it is not theirs. They have already express themselves and they said it's not theirs." VARIOUS OF THE EXTERIOR OF BRAZIL'S POLICE BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 9th January 2020 19:20
  • Keywords: Brazil Netlix Porta dos Fundos Rio de Janeiro attack
  • Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA001BBM4LL3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A Christmas Eve fire-bomb attack on offices of a comedy troupe that produced a "gay Jesus" Netflix special is being investigated as an attempted homicide, police said on Thursday (December 26), a day after a shadowy group claimed responsibility in a video that included a far-right religious statement.
    A group identifying itself as "Popular Nationalist Insurgency Command of the Large Brazilian Integralist Family" said in a video circulated on social media late on Christmas Day that it carried out the attack on the headquarters of the Porta dos Fundos comedy group in Rio de Janeiro.
    The video circulating Thursday shows three people throwing gasoline bombs over the wall in front of the video production house. Police said the video matches security camera footage and is authentic.
    Netflix did not respond to a request for comment about the video claiming responsibility for the attack.
    There were no injuries in the Christmas Eve attack on an empty video production house in Rio de Janeiro, and a security guard extinguished the flames.
    The video also shows three men in black ski masks and dark green jumpsuits reading a statement in front of a flag bearing the Greek letter Sigma, the symbol of Brazil's integralist movement from the 1930s, inspired by European fascism. There was also an Imperial Flag of Brazil, the national symbol under Brazil's former monarchy but not used since the 1800s.
    The statement, read in a sound-altered voice, criticizes the comedy as "blasphemy" perpetrated by left-wing Marxists seeking to weaken and divide the country, and criticizes Netflix for airing the special.
    The comedy group's short film, The First Temptation of Christ, depicts Jesus returning home on his 30th birthday and insinuates he is gay. Religious groups bristled at the depiction. An online petition that was launched in Brazil called for the film to be banned and drew more than 2 million signatures.
    Brazil is home to the world's largest Catholic population. There is also a rapidly growing Evangelical Christian community that supports the right-wing government of President Jair Bolsonaro, who once said he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.
    (Production: Segio Queiroz, Rodrigo Viga)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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