Racism Man Ask for 1 million Reais: Accused of stealing a bag In Zara Brazil

Accused of stealing a backpack at Zara, he asks for R$ 1 million in compensation 'to discourage racism'

Fernandes Júnior was taken from the bathroom by security, who wanted him to 'return' the backpack he had just bought.

The black man who was removed from the bathroom at Shopping da Bahia, in Salvador, after being accused of stealing a backpack he bought at the Zara store, will file a damages action in the order of R$ 1 million against the store and the mall.

According to information from Fernandes Júnior's lawyer, Thiago Thobias, the action will be filed next week, when the Judiciary returns from the end of the year recess.

The defense of Fernandes Júnior, who is from Guinea-Bissau, a country located on the African continent, believes that only financial compensation can prevent new practices of racism at the store.

     "Only a high value indemnity will be able to discourage the authors of repeated practices of racism. The educational and punitive character must be enough to prevent such practices from being repeated", said the lawyer.

According to Thobias, the amount needs to be enough to "economically shake a company the size of Zara", and thus avoid other crimes of racism

psychological shock

On Tuesday (4), the g1 spoke with Fernandes Júnior. He revealed that he asked the court for the company and the shopping center to promote educational actions that preach respect for black people.

"I just hope that justice is done and that the perpetrators of this type of inhuman violence pay for their mistakes. I know that nothing will pay and erase this humiliation, but I hope this is a measure that makes them rethink, and that helps so that it doesn't happen to other people anymore," assessed Luís.

"I'm not okay at all. It was a seconds situation that ended everything I've built up over time."

remember the case

The crime took place on December 28th. Luís has lived in Bahia for seven years and said he was at Zara's store looking for a new backpack, which he saw online. After finding the backpack he wanted, he left it at the checkout and left the store to get the money.

Upon returning to Zara, he paid for the item and then left with the purchase and the invoice. In a hurry, because he needed to get home quickly, in the metropolitan region of Salvador, he left his change at the till and went to the bathroom, where he was approached by security.

    "He stayed behind me. At first, I didn't care because I had no idea it would be me. Then he came up to me and said: 'I want you to return the backpack you stole from Zara's store now.' I replied that I had bought the backpack and I even said that I had the receipt, but he refused to listen and insisted that I return it", he said at the time.

Afterward, the security guard – who did not have his identity disclosed – took the backpack from Luís's hand and walked down the hall.

"I got very nervous and went arguing down the hall after him. When we got back to the store, I looked for the guy who attended to me and asked him whose backpack was. The attendant replied that it was mine, that I had bought it. was embarrassed," recalled the victim.

Even with the situation explained by the store attendant and the proof of payment for the backpack, the security guard refused to return the backpack to Luís.

    "I pulled his backpack out of his hand and he ignored me, walked away. I went after him, disgusted, and asked: 'I want to know who is responsible for you so I can understand the reason for this type of approach'".

"Then I met the person in charge of security, and I asked, 'Can you tell me what kind of training, education, or education you give security guards? If it were a white man, would he have the guts to go into the bathroom and do this? Accuse me? of robbery, take me out of the bathroom, me with the receipt in my hand?".

Still, Luís reported that he was treated with disdain by the head of security. He then said that he knew of his rights.

"I told him: 'I'm not a layman, I'm not stupid. I have a degree in Human Sciences, a licentiate, and I'm doing two postgraduate courses, one of them in Gender and Human Rights. I know what racism is and what you are doing. At that moment, his face changed and he lowered his head".

    "I felt humiliated for being black. It was like he killed me and left me on the street anyway. It hurt a lot. And in no time they apologized. I arrived home devastated, with a severe headache."

At the time of the crime, Zara said in a note that it removed an employee from the store.

Zara also informed that it is investigating the details of what happened and that it regrets the episode, "which does not reflect the company's values". At the same time, Shopping da Bahia said that the security guard had not complied with the mall regulamentos regulations, by answering the store funs employees request.

He also said that he does not condone any discriminatory act and that he "will include images of this fact in internal training to prevent them from happening again".

copied:https://g1.globo.com