A black woman was removed by federal police from a Gol Linhas Aéreas flight that would travel from Salvador to Congonhas airport early this Saturday (29). In videos that went viral on social networks, it is possible to observe that Samantha Vitena was already inside the aircraft, waiting for takeoff, when she was removed in the middle of a discussion about the dispatch of her luggage. One of the police officers argues that the decision was made by determination of the commander. In the video it is also possible to see the support that Samantha had from other passengers. On Twitter, the Ministry of Women condemned the case. “The episode against Samantha Vitena on a flight from Salvador early this Saturday demonstrates the racism and misogyny that structurally affect black women in our country”. In the following post, the folder mentions that the woman was removed from the aircraft about an hour after the luggage problem had already been resolved, as reported by Samantha herself and passengers who witnessed the incident. “The scene is an affront to Samantha and all black women. We will ask the airline and the PF to take action [Polícia Federal], who owe apologies and explanations after the approach.” On her Instagram page, journalist Elaine Hazin, who was on the same aircraft as Samantha, classifies the episode as “an extremely violent case of racism”. According to her, the passengers boarded Gol Linhas Aéreas flight 1575 one hour late and the woman could not find a place to store her backpack, which contained a laptop. “We got a place for Samantha’s backpack, and even then, the flight would not take off. Another hour of delay, no satisfaction from the airline, people feeling sick on the plane and behold, three men from the Federal Police enter the plane in an extremely truculent way to take the ‘threat’ of the flight away – Samantha. She defends herself, but does not react. Some ask her not to go (mostly women).” “This story does not end here, we want justice and respect for everyone, we want Gol, this commander and the crew to pay for this crime and the police also respond for such violence”, concluded the journalist in the post. In a note, Gol Linhas Aéreas reported that, during the boarding of flight 1575 to Congonhas airport, there was a large amount of luggage to be accommodated on board. “Many customers collaborated by sending packages free of charge. Even with all the alternatives presented by the crew, a customer did not accept the placement of her luggage in the correct and safe places for bags and, due to operational security measures, she was unable to continue on the flight”. “We regret the inconvenience caused to customers, but we reinforce that, for security measures, our number 1 value, luggage accommodation must follow the established rules and procedures, without exceptions. The company also points out that it is continuously looking for ways to avoid what happened and offer the best experience to those who choose to fly with Gol and continues to carefully investigate the details of the case.”
Agência Brasil
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