Over the weekend, Dani Alves, a Brazilian player with FC Barcelona, became a hero after calmly picking up a banana thrown by a racist fan and eating it — turning a racist gesture all too common on the soccer pitch on its head.
Barcelona beat Villarreal 3-2. Both Barcelona and Villarreal have denounced the act. "I have been in Spain 11 years and it has been the same for 11 years," Alves told AFP after Sunday's game. "You have to laugh at these backward people... We are not going to change it, so you have to take it almost as a joke and laugh at them."
Later that day, Alves' teammate, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, posted this photo of him and his kid, using #somostodosmacacos, or #weareallmonkeys. The mocking appropriation of the racist phrase soon spread online.
Soon, other soccer players, like retired Brazilian soccer star Roberto Carlos, added their names in solidarity. Carlos has been the target of racist banana throwing before.
Even Roberto Carlos ! #BananaParty #weareallmonkeys #SayNoToRacism
Belgian soccer player Dries Mertens also took part.
Great reaction by Dani Alves. Respect! #weareallmonkeys #SayNoToRacism
So did these Belgian soccer players, Nacer Chadli and Mousa Sidi Yaya Dembele.
Chadli and Dembele joined the movement. #weareallmonkeys #saynotoracism
These guys also posted a picture.
Oscar, Luiz, Willian show there respect to Dani Alves! #SayNoToRacism
As did Brazilian soccer star Marta Vieira da Silva, among others.
Aguero has joined the Banana Party !! #SayNoToRacism #weareallmonkeys
In Brazil, where Alves is from, celebrities also joined the campaign to satirically belittle the racially charged act of banana throwing. Here's popular singer Michel Telo taking a selfie with his banana.
And popular Brazilian TV presenter Luciano Huck, whose photo received more than 68,600 likes on Instagram.
Soon the internet was filled with pictures of people of all colors — and their bananas — using a version of #weareallmonekys and #saynotoracism to criticize the racist sentiment.
Dani Alves getting worldwide support. #somostodosmacacos #weareallmonkeys
Some did not see the point in the internet's satirical appropriation of an innately racist idea. But many others from around the world joined in the online campaign.
#saynotoracism
#somostodosmacacos #weareallmonkeys support Dani from Indonesia cc: @DaniAlvesD2 @fcbarcelona_id @barcastuff
We are with you Dani Alves... #WeAreAllMonkeys #SayNoToRacism #WeAreAllEqual Unite against racism campaign...
Spanish Tv presenter eats banana in support of Alves.."I am also a monkey" #SayNoToRacism
I support you Dani #somostodosmacacos #weareallmonkeys #DaniAlves #wearealldanialves @BrazilStats @neymarjr
We are all monkeys! Apoio a Daniel Alves! #SayNoToRacism #weareallmonkeys #somostodosmacacos #NaoAoRacismo
In support of @DaniAlvesD2 ! Kick racism out! #somostodosmacacos #KickRacismOutOfFootball
: #weareallmonkeys #saynotoracism #كلنا_قرود #كلنا_سبلان #لا_للعنصرية #الفيش #برشلونة
@danid2ois #somostodosmacacos #weareallmonkeys
Cat power.
Boodi doesn't like bananas but he is also taking a stand #weareallmonkeys #somostodosmacacos