Rio de Janeiro (state)

Players of Botafogo joined the Black Lives Matter movement and 'took a knee' during their first match after the Covid-19 pandemic paused all soccer competitions in Brazil.

Before the kick-off, Botafogo protested against the Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FERJ), that resumed the Campeonato Carioca tournament meanwhile Brazil still deals with a growing number of Covid-19 cases.

During a live TV pronouncement, President Jair Bolsonaro has called the virus "little flu" and stated the pandemic is a "fantasy." The Brazilian President ordered State Governors to end the quarantine currently in place on São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro -- Brazil's two most populous states.

There were protests across the country, with quarantined people banging pots and pans from their balconies.