A state attorney in southern Brazil is suing a unit of French retailer Carrefour SA seeking 200 million reais ($A51 million) in damages after security guards beat a black man to death at one of its stores.
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A video widely circulated on Friday showed security guards at a Carrefour Brasil store in the city of Porto Alegre brutally beating Joao Alberto Silveira Freitas, following an argument between him and an employee.
The death sparked a national conversation about race.
Brazil often likes to think of itself as devoid of racism, despite vast inequalities between races in almost every aspect of life.
The store in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul was overrun by protestors as was one location in Sao Paulo, while Carrefour Brasil's shares plunged.
As well as seeking damages, the lawsuit by the state public defender's office asked a court to shut the store in Porto Alegre "with the objective of reducing the risk of possible hostile acts that could occur during protests".
Carrefour Brasil said it still had not been formally cited by the public defender's office, adding that it would provide any information needed by the government.
Among the other demands listed in the lawsuit is the creation of a plan to combat racism and discriminatory treatment by the retailer in Porto Alegre.
Australian Associated Press
