Now I’m no expert, but I’ve a suspicion this could be a political metaphor.

Businesses wouldn’t offer free self-defense classes – liability! They’d just put up a ribbon in tribute of all the fallen babies. Maybe they’d sell ribbons too, so you can honor the babies.

Brazil has something of a problem of minors committing crime, since they don’t get the full jail time adults do. There is a significant political push for lowering the minimum age to throw kids into prison, asking for 16 or 14yo to be judged and jailed like adults - which means the typical “Lock 'em up and forget them for a minimum of 10 years”.