Protesters marched in Vila Cruzeiro, where days earlier residents laid out dozens of bodies of people killed by police.

Hundreds of protesters have marched through one of the favelas targeted in the deadliest police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history, calling for Rio state Governor Claudio Castro to resign.

The vocal group of demonstrators gathered on Friday in Vila Cruzeiro, part of the Penha complex of favelas that came under assault, to voice their fury at this week’s police operation that killed at least 121 people, including four police officers.

Some 2,500 police and soldiers stormed the favelas – low-income and crowded neighbourhoods built on steep hillsides – across Rio on Tuesday, targeting notorious gang Comando Vermelho (Red Command) in the Complexo de Alemao and Complexo da Penha favelas.

The officers, backed by armoured vehicles and helicopters, drew retaliation from gang members, sparking scenes of chaos across the city.

The stated objective was to capture gang leaders and challenge Red Command’s territorial expansion. The group has increased its control over the city’s favelas and other areas in recent years.

Authorities initially claimed only 64 people had been killed, but the next day, residents found dozens of bodies in a nearby wooded area.

Locals, politicians, activists, along with grieving mothers who lost their sons in previous operations, voiced their anger as they gathered in Vila Cruzeiro, where days earlier, residents had laid out dozens of dead bodies following the raid.

Much of the fury was directed towards Rio state’s right-wing Governor Castro, with protesters calling him an “assassin”.

“Out with Castro, stop the massacres!” protesters chanted, demanding the governor’s resignation or that he be sent to prison.

“Assassinating young people in favelas isn’t public policy. It’s a massacre,” said local councilwoman Monica Benicio.

Castro deemed the operation a “success” against “narco-terrorists”, claiming those killed were criminals who resisted police. The state government claimed that of the 99 suspects identified so far, 42 had outstanding arrest warrants, while at least 78 had extensive criminal records.

One sign at Friday’s protest read, “120 lives lost is not a success,” while another declared, “Castro has blood on his hands.”

Many also condemned the state in which the bodies were found. At least one body was reportedly decapitated, while others were found with puncture wounds or tied up.

The death toll, the highest ever in a Rio police operation, prompted condemnation from rights groups and the United Nations. Human Rights Watch denounced the “disastrous operation” and called for Brazilian authorities to “ensure a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation of each of the killings”.

Brazil’s Supreme Court and lawmakers have also ordered Castro to provide detailed information on how the operation was carried out. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has scheduled a hearing with Castro and the heads of the military and civil police on November 3.

Castro has accused the administration of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of being soft on crime, saying the federal government has abandoned Rio in its fight against gangs.

Amid the criticism, Lula said on X on Friday that he had submitted a bill to parliament proposing a minimum 30-year prison sentence for gang members.