Photos: Brazilian activists dig graves to protest handling of pandemic

Brazilians critical of their government's ambiguous response to a surging coronavirus pandemic dug 100 graves and stuck black crosses in the sand of Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on June 11. The organisers of the demonstration from NGO Rio de Paz said the protest was a tribute to the nearly 42,000 people who have died so far due to the virus.

Updated on: Jun 13, 2020 3:25 PM IST

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A man runs past the one hundred graves which were dug by activists from the NGO Rio de Paz on Copacabana beach. The graves dug are a critique to the Brazilian government’s ambiguous response to a surging coronavirus pandemic and also symbolises the dead from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rio de Janeiro on June 11. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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An activist of the NGO Rio de Paz seen at Copacabana beach during the mass grave digging demonstration on June 11. The graves were dug overnight on the beach opposite the ritzy Copacabana Hotel. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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An activist of the NGO Rio de Paz wearing a face shield digs a grave on Copacabana beach. Brazil has become a major epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, with 41,901 deaths and over 829,900 confirmed cases as of June 12, according to coronavirus tracking website Worldometer. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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Activists wearing PPE coveralls dig graves on Copacabana beach during the demonstration on June 11. “The president has not realised that this is one of the most dramatic crises in Brazil’s history,” organiser Antonio Carlos Costa told Reuters. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticised for downplaying the gravity of the pandemic and pushing local governments to lift quarantine measures, sending contradictory signals to Brazilians on whether to use masks and practise social distancing. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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An activist breaks down during the mass grave digging demonstration at Copacabana beach. Not everyone agreed with the protest--an angry man pulled out crosses, shouting against the symbolic tribute. Another man, who said his 25-year-old son died of COVID-19, went around replacing the fallen crosses. (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)

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Activists of the NGO Rio de Paz wearing PPE coveralls dig graves on Copacabana beach to symbolise the dead from the coronavirus disease during a demonstration in Rio de Janeiro on June 11. “It’s such a tragedy,” passer-by Marcia Lucia Dias told Reuters. “It’s frightening to see the crosses. But this is really happening. Our authorities contradict themselves and we don’t know what to do.” (Pilar Olivares / REUTERS)