Pope Francis encouraged protesters to make their voices heard and for authorities to listen to them, in an interview with Globo television aired Saturday evening, Bloomberg reported.
“A young man who doesn’t protest doesn’t suit me,” he said in the interview. “A young man is essentially a nonconformist, and that is a very beautiful thing. You need to listen to young people, giving them outlets to express themselves and ensure they don’t get manipulated.”
Francis added that he was not familiar with all of the protesters’ demands.
The interview reiterated the speech he made to the millions gathered in Copacabana, where he urged youth to overcome “apathy” and “offer a Christian response to social and political worries,” Bloomberg reported.
While Pope Francis toured Rio on Saturday, demonstrators protested against government spending and rallied for women’s rights nearby, in a continuation of the massive street rallies which began in June, per Bloomberg.
