The murder of student Edson Luís by the Military Police (PM), on March 28, 1968, triggered a series of protests against the Dictatorship throughout the country. Tension was growing, and rumors were circulating that a state of siege would be declared. In Rio de Janeiro, tempers were particularly heated on April 4, the date on which two seventh-day memorial masses were to be held in memory of the murdered student.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a large crowd seated in chairs, possibly in an auditorium or event hall. The spatial arrangement is linear, with people seated in rows, facing an area that is not visible in the image. In the foreground, individuals are seated closer to the camera, while in the background, the crowd extends to the back of the image. Everyone appears to be focused on something outside the camera's view.As duas missas de 7º dia, celebradas em memória de Edson Luís, mobilizaram a população carioca inconformada com o assassinado do jovem. Agência O Globo
The ceremonies would take place at the Igreja da Candelária, in the morning and at night, commissioned respectively by the Guanabara State Legislative Assembly and by the student movement. Before dawn, however, the Army, the Military Police and the Navy Marine Corps occupied the streets of Downtown with a heavy military apparatus. Tanks, rifles and machine guns were used to prevent any kind of demonstration.
Even so, hundreds of people arrived for the first celebration, led by canon Antônio de Paula Dutra and friar Elias Coqueto. At the end of the mass, the people leaving the church were surrounded by the mounted troops, who charged against men, women and children, leaving many wounded.
At the end of the morning mass, the mounted police charged at the people leaving the Igreja da Candelária. Última Hora Archive.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a crowd of people gathered in a public place. The image is divided into two main parts: on the left, there is a building with columns and classical architecture; on the right, several people are walking or running toward the center of the image. In the center, there is a group of individuals who appear to be moving quickly, possibly fleeing or moving away from something. On the right, two mounted police officers are on their horses, holding lances. The ground is paved with geometric patterns, and there is a street lamp in the center of the image.To prevent the 6 p.m. mass from taking place, the repression forces turned the area around Candelária into a war zone. Tear gas bombs were thrown indiscriminately and police vehicles took over the streets, while a plane flew over the site. But the population was not intimidated, and more than 600 people attended the ceremony. D. Castro Pinto, vicar-general of Rio de Janeiro, officiated the mass along with 15 other priests, who tried to ease the tense atmosphere.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the altar, and tear gas bombs made the air unbreathable. At the end of the ceremony, the crowd was afraid to leave. To prevent another tragedy, the priests staged the scene that would become famous: stepping to the front, hand in hand, they formed a human cordon between the police and the civilians. The act, however, failed to prevent the confrontation. Since the entire neighborhood was surrounded, the crowd was chased down, and many were beaten and arrested.
Calabouço - Sérgio Ricardo, 1973
