Comedy group's office petrol bombed after outcry over Netflix film depicting Jesus as gay
'We will move on, more united, stronger, more inspired and confident that the country will survive this storm of hatred and love will prevail alongside freedom of speech', group says in statement
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Brazilian comedy troupe's headquarters was bombarded with Molotov cocktails on Christmas Eve after the group launched a Netflix film which depicted Jesus as gay.
The base of operation for Porta dos Fundos in Rio de Janeiro was briefly set alight in the incident, however a security guard was able to contain the blaze. No one was harmed in the incident.
The group have faced international scrutiny and accusations of blasphemy following the release of their Netflix Christmas special "The First Temptation of Christ," - a 46-minute comedy that portrays Jesus bringing home his presumed boyfriend Orlando to meet the Holy Family.
The airing of the film on the streaming service prompted around 2 million people to sign a petition calling on Netflix to remove the show because it offended Christians.
Porta dos Fundos won an International Emmy for its last holiday special, which depicted Jesus and his disciples retracing their steps after a night of heavy drinking, drugs, fighting and magic.
The group wrote on Twitter: "In the early morning of December 24, on Christmas Eve, the headquarters of Porta dos Fundos was the victim of an attack. Molotov cocktails were thrown at our building,"
"We will move on, more united, stronger, more inspired and confident that the country will survive this storm of hatred and love will prevail alongside freedom of speech."
Brazil is home to the world's largest Catholic community as well as a fast-expanding evangelical community with increasing political influence.
President Jair Bolsonaro, who has described himself as a "proud" homophobe, once told an interviewer he would rather have a dead son than a gay son. Earlier this year he suspended funding for a series of films, including a handful with LGBT+ themes.
The decision was later struck down by a federal court.
His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, recently called Porta dos Funds' Christmas special "garbage" on his Twitter account, saying the filmmakers "do not represent Brazilian society".
Additional reporting by Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments