The death of a black man after being beaten by white security guards at a supermarket has sparked protests across Brazil as the country celebrated Black Consciousness Day. The military police in Rio Grande do Sul state said the man had threatened a female worker at the supermarket, who called security. The victim, named as 40-year-old welder Joao Alberto Silveira Freitas, lost consciousness during the assault and died on the spot as medics tried to revive him.