RIO DE JANEIRO — A trial began Wednesday against two former police officers accused of the 2018 slaying of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, who was black, bisexual and of humble origins and became a major icon of Brazil’s political left.

Franco, 38, and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were killed in a shooting on March 14, 2018. Ronnie Lessa is accused of firing the gun, while Élcio Queiroz is accused of being the driver.

Two brothers with alleged links to criminal groups – one of them a sitting federal lawmaker – were accused of ordering the killing, allegedly because the adviser’s work was against the interests of those gangs, known as militias. They have not yet been tried.

Lessa and Queiroz, arrested in 2019, signed plea agreements, but the jury has the final say on their guilt. Jurors could technically overturn plea negotiations, but analysts say that’s unlikely.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the trial site in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, many carrying sunflowers and chanting “Justice!”

“Today we have the chance to change the face of justice in Rio de Janeiro and in Brazil,” Antônio Francisco da Silva Neto, Marielle’s father, told reporters before the trial began. Her mother, sister and daughter were also at the scene, as was Anderson’s wife, Agatha Arnaus.

“These individuals, confessed defendants, must be sentenced in an exemplary manner so that the message is sent that they are not God, that they cannot take the life of any human being and go unpunished,” he added.

Universally known by her first name, Marielle, the murder was seen in Brazil as an attack on democracy. Raised in one of Rio’s poor communities known as favelasshe became known for her efforts to improve the lives of ordinary Rio residents. After her election in 2016, she fought against violence against women while defending human rights and social programs.

Outrage over her killing sparked mass protests. Her silhouette can be found printed on T-shirts and painted on walls nationwide.

The accused will face questions about the double deaths and also the attempted murder of Fernanda Chaves, Franco’s assistant and friend, who was wounded but survived.

Chaves recounted Marielle’s final moments in court Wednesday.

“We were talking about things about life, work, household things. At one point he was in doubt whether or not to stop to buy bread from the bakery… When the car was going very slowly, I heard a bunch… As an immediate reflex, I got off,” said Chaves. “I noticed (Anderson’s) right arm was off the steering wheel, Marielle was motionless. I felt her arm over me, the weight of her body against me.”

Prosecutors are seeking the maximum prison sentence for the double murders, which could reach 84 years each, according to the Rio prosecutor’s office.

In September, Edilson Barbosa dos Santos was convicted of dismantling the car used in drive-by shootings. But many believe Wednesday’s start of the trial is the first time some of the main suspects responsible for her death have been held accountable.

Both defendants are participating in the trial via video conference from jail. Lessa is in Sao Paulo, while Queiroz is in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. The jury will hear from nine witnesses, seven called by the state prosecutor’s office and two others by Lessa’s defense. Queiroz’s defense chose not to call either.

Federal authorities began seriously investigating the case after leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2023.

In March, The Federal Police detained the federal parliamentarian Chiquinho Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazãomember of Rio’s state audit body, being suspected of having ordered Franco’s murder. Both are allegedly linked to militias, which illegally charge residents for various services, including protection. They denied any involvement in crime or with militias.

In his plea negotiations, Lessa told police that the two politician brothers hired him and informed him that the then head of the state’s civil police, Rivaldo Barbosa, had signed off beforehand. Barbosa was also arrested in March.

Police accuse politicians of ordering her killing because it was an obstacle to the interests of the militias.

“Today is a mix of feelings,” said Anielle Franco, Marielle’s sister and Lula’s racial equality minister. “It is a certainty that we fought hard and that we will continue to fight. Not just for Mari, for Anderson, but for everyone to come. For my daughters, for my granddaughters and for all future generations. To have a safer place.”

“It is not normal to wait almost seven years… As long as we have the strength, the blood flows through us, we will fight,” she added.