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| Coronavirus: Fracas on Brazil's Copacabana over Covid-19 'graves' | Coronavirus: Fracas on Brazil's Copacabana over Covid-19 'graves' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Activists angry at Brazil's response to Covid-19 have created 100 graves on Rio's Copacabana beach to remember the country's nearly 40,000 victims. | Activists angry at Brazil's response to Covid-19 have created 100 graves on Rio's Copacabana beach to remember the country's nearly 40,000 victims. |
| However, organisers said supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro had mocked the event with one man pulling out crosses. | However, organisers said supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro had mocked the event with one man pulling out crosses. |
| The president's opposition to lockdowns and his downplaying of the virus have deeply divided the nation. | The president's opposition to lockdowns and his downplaying of the virus have deeply divided the nation. |
| Brazil has the world's second-highest number of cases - and the third-highest number of deaths in the world. | Brazil has the world's second-highest number of cases - and the third-highest number of deaths in the world. |
| The symbolic graves, with black crosses, were dug before dawn opposite the Copacabana Hotel by members of the Rio de Paz group. | The symbolic graves, with black crosses, were dug before dawn opposite the Copacabana Hotel by members of the Rio de Paz group. |
| Organiser Antonio Carlos Costa told Reuters news agency: "The president has not realised that this is one of the most dramatic crises in Brazil's history. | Organiser Antonio Carlos Costa told Reuters news agency: "The president has not realised that this is one of the most dramatic crises in Brazil's history. |
| "Families are mourning thousands of dead, and there is unemployment and hunger." | "Families are mourning thousands of dead, and there is unemployment and hunger." |
| But he said some supporters of the president had mocked the project. | But he said some supporters of the president had mocked the project. |
| "They feel such rage - and I think they're reproducing the behaviour of the person occupying the highest position in the land," he said. | "They feel such rage - and I think they're reproducing the behaviour of the person occupying the highest position in the land," he said. |
| One man went around knocking down the crosses. | One man went around knocking down the crosses. |
| Only the US has more confirmed Covid-19 cases than Brazil figures from Johns Hopkins University show. | |
| Brazil has the third-worst figure on deaths, now at 40,919 according to latest health ministry release, and this is expected to pass the UK's number soon. |