Marielle Franco, 38, was a city councillor in the city of Rio de Janeiro, just one year into her term. She was considered an up-and-coming member of the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party. A Black woman from the favelas—Brazil's densely populated, low-income neighbourhoods—Franco was best known for campaigning for the rights of LGBTQ people, racial minorities and women.
She was a Black and poor woman who dared to stand up to the interests of White, wealthy male militiamen. Franco had dared to fight land-grabbing operations in areas under the influence of then-congressman Chiquinho Brazão and Rio state auditor Domingos Brazão, brothers who led militias there, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said from the bench.
"Throughout her life, Ruth Weiss drew on the immeasurable suffering of the Holocaust and her experiences under apartheid in South Africa to formulate an enduring educational mission for us all: Do not divide the world into 'us and you,' but stand up for the 'us' of humanity," Wolfram Weimer, Germany's Minister of State for Culture and the Media, said. At the age of 101, the Jewish journalist, writer and human rights activist passed away in Denmark, surrounded by her family.