Tens of thousands of Brazilians rallied across major cities Sunday in one of the country’s largest leftist demonstrations in years, protesting efforts in Congress to shield former President Jair Bolsonaro and lawmakers from prosecution.
The protests came after Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his 2022 election loss. He remains under house arrest while appeals are pending, but allies in Congress are pushing for amnesty and legal protections. Last week, Brazil’s lower house fast-tracked a bill that could free Bolsonaro supporters jailed for storming government buildings in 2023 and passed a constitutional amendment granting lawmakers power to block prosecutions.
In São Paulo, an estimated 40,000 people filled Avenida Paulista, waving banners reading “No Amnesty” and chanting for justice. Demonstrators contrasted their rally with recent pro-Bolsonaro gatherings, where right-wing crowds displayed U.S. flags to celebrate Donald Trump’s support for Bolsonaro.
Renato Fonseca, 63, wore a shirt declaring “1964 Never Again,” referencing Brazil’s military dictatorship. “We came very close to another coup. This demonstration is about defending democracy,” he said.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the protests on social media, stressing that Congress must prioritize policies that benefit the Brazilian people rather than impunity for coup plotters.
In Rio de Janeiro, protesters filled Copacabana Beach shouting “Bolsonaro in jail” before concerts by legendary musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque—artists once persecuted during the dictatorship.
For many, the rallies represented not just rejection of Bolsonaro but a demand to safeguard Brazil’s democracy against extremism. “I came to defend democracy and say no to amnesty for coup plotters,” said Scarlett Angelotti, 62.
The protests underscored Brazil’s deep political divide, with left-wing demonstrators determined to prevent a repeat of the country’s authoritarian past.