Judge bans holocaust-themed carnival float
A Brazilian judge yesterday banned a Holocaust-themed float from Rio de Janeiro's famous carnival, saying it was a "clear trivialisation of barbaric events".
The Viradouro samba group, considered one of the best in Rio, is now making hasty alterations to its planned performance before its scheduled parade slot on Monday.
It had chosen the theme, "It Gives You Goose Pimples", featuring floats depicting the shock of birth and cold, along with the pile of Holocaust victims.
Although the samba group refused to say whether it had planned to have a dancing Hitler, it was listed in the official parade description as part of the float.
The judge intervened after Rio's Jewish community had taken legal action, citing federal laws prohibiting Nazi propaganda and racism.
"It's inadmissible that they could have a parade float depicting dead Jews and a live Hitler on top of them," said the community's spokesman Jose Roitberg.
TV footage showed workers at the Viradouro warehouse dismantling the float and preparing to rework it for the parade.
"This an extremely serious work, and people think we're mocking," Viradouro carnival designer Paulo Barros said, tears streaming from his eyes. "We're going to speak now of the right to freedom."
Rio de Janeiro state Judge Juliana Kalichszteim agreed with the plaintiffs, calling Viradouro's plans a "clear trivialisation of barbaric events".
Carnival "should not be used as a tool for the cult of hate, any form of racism," the judge said.
Rio's two-night Samba parade, featuring thousands of scantily-clad and elaborately-plumed dancers, is the high point of Brazil's carnival celebrations and is televised nationally in a country of 185 million people.
During the event, Rio's 12 top-tier samba groups each present an 80-minute parade featuring hundreds of drummers and thousands of dancers to compete to be the year's champion.
Each group chooses a theme reflected in music, costumes and floats.
According to Kalichszteim's decision, the group would face fines if it ignored her order by parading with the mannequins.
"To get this court order in the final minute of the game is tremendously frustrating," said the club's percussion director, known as Master Cica.
Andreia Vieira, the artist who created the mound of dead bodies, lamented the "major loss, a lot of money and labour spent".
The float was intended to remind carnival-goers of past horrors to prevent them from happening again, the group said.
