Protesters marched in Vila Cruzeiro, where days earlier residents laid out dozens of bodies of people killed by police.
Published On 1 Nov 2025
Hundreds of protesters have marched through one of the favelas targeted in the deadliest police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history, calling for Rio state Governor Claudio Castro to resign.
The vocal group of demonstrators gathered on Friday in Vila Cruzeiro, part of the Penha complex of favelas that came under assault, to voice their fury at this week’s police operation that killed at least 121 people, including four police officers.
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Some 2,500 police and soldiers stormed the favelas – low-income and crowded neighbourhoods built on steep hillsides – across Rio on Tuesday, targeting notorious gang Comando Vermelho (Red Command) in the Complexo de Alemao and Complexo da Penha favelas.
The officers, backed by armoured vehicles and helicopters, drew retaliation from gang members, sparking scenes of chaos across the city.
The stated objective was to capture gang leaders and challenge Red Command’s territorial expansion. The group has increased its control over the city’s favelas and other areas in recent years.
Authorities initially claimed only 64 people had been killed, but the next day, residents found dozens of bodies in a nearby wooded area.
Locals, politicians, activists, along with grieving mothers who lost their sons in previous operations, voiced their anger as they gathered in Vila Cruzeiro, where days earlier, residents had laid out dozens of dead bodies following the raid.
Much of the fury was directed towards Rio state’s right-wing Governor Castro, with protesters calling him an “assassin”.
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