Salma Hayek demands justice for Giovanni Lopez who was ‘beaten’ and ‘tortured’ by police for not wearing a face mask’
- Mexico-born star made direct statement on her face mask
- Oscar-nominated actress said that ‘corruption and police brutality has to stop’
- Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Jalisco’s capital Guadalajara Thursday
Salma Hayek wants Justice for Giovanni.
The Frida star, 53, is using her platform to address ongoing tension between the public and law enforcement, as exhibited in America’s backlash to the death of George Floyd, and an incident earlier last month in Mexico in which a man named Giovanni López was allegedly beaten to death by police because he wasn’t wearing a mask on his face amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Justice for Giovanni Lopez, who was detained in Mexico by 10 policemen for allegedly not wearing a mask,’ the Mexico-born actress captioned a post.
Focused: Salma Hayek, 53, is using her platform to address an incident earlier last month in Mexico in which a man named Giovanni López was allegedly beaten to death by police because he wasn’t wearing a mask on his face amid the COVID-19 pandemic
In an accompanying shot, Hayek stared straight into the camera wearing a black face mask that read, ‘Justice for Giovanni’ in red letters.
Hayek, who’s married to billionaire businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, said that López ‘was eventually found shot in the leg and beaten to death.’
The Oscar-nominated actress said that ‘corruption and police brutality has to stop’ on an evening the AP reported hundreds of protestors in the streets of Jalisco’s capital Guadalajara.
Amid the protests, a pair of police patrol cars were touched and graffiti was sprayed after break-ins to the state Capitol building.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has also joined the dialogue demanding justice in the hotbed case, which took place on May 4 in near Guadalajara when he was arrested in connection for misdemeanor disturbing the peace or resisting arrest, according to the AP.
He was seen in a clip being placed in a police truck by multiple officers as nearby cities said the police were being too brutal in their behavior toward the man.
He was dead in a matter of hours while in police custody; not arrests have been made in the case as of Thursday.
His brother Christian López told Latin US in a story published last month, that Mayor Eduardo Cervantes promised he’d pay him $9,000, to not release footage of the arrest he recorded with his cellphone.
‘The policemen came to carry out a raid to arrest people who did not have face masks. We were going to dinner and they came and assaulted us,’ Christian said. ‘My brother was grabbed by like ten policemen, myself as well, but I managed to get away and he was being beaten, tortured, choked there. At that moment I started recording.’
State Gov. Enrique Alfaro said in response to the events: ‘I am also hurt, I am also indignant, I am also enraged that these happen in Mexico.’
Gorgeous: The Oscar-nominated actress was snapped in California earlier this year