Background on Key Figures and Recent Events
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Brazil on Sunday, protesting against maneuvers in Congress to expand legislators’ immunity and a proposed amnesty that could benefit former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. This is the largest left-wing demonstration since 2022.
Just days after Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup d’état following a historic trial at the Supreme Court, his critics took to the streets in large numbers not seen since the victory of leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva three years ago, according to the Monitor of Political Debate at the University of São Paulo.
Protests Across Major Cities
Chanting “No amnesty!”, a crowd took to the streets in over thirty cities, carrying signs that read “Dictatorship never again” and “Congress, national shame.”
Lula celebrated the mobilizations, stating they “demonstrate that the Brazilian people do not want impunity or amnesty.” He posted on Instagram, “I am on the side of the Brazilian people.”
In São Paulo, the economic heart of Brazil, nearly 42,000 people filled the popular Paulista Avenue, according to calculations by the Monitor. Similar numbers gathered in Rio de Janeiro, where iconic octogenarian Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque performed resistance songs from the Brazilian military dictatorship era (1964-1985) at the famous Copacabana Beach.
“Revolutionary” Atmosphere
The Congressional movements were criticized by Veloso, who spoke to the crowd at the bustling waterfront, saying musicians could not “ignore the horrors being suggested around us.”
The 83-year-old singer had earlier reminded his social media followers of the trio’s joint protest against the military dictatorship in 1968. Among the attendees was Giovana Araújo, a 27-year-old psychology student who described the concert as “revolutionary.”
“These artists were literally boycotted during the military dictatorship, and seeing them here is a symbol of resistance,” Araújo told AFP. “Once again, artists mobilizing the people to demand justice in this country,” added Yasmin Aimeé Coelho Pessoa, a 20-year-old sociology student with glitter in her eyes.
Controversial Congressional Actions
On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies, with a conservative majority, approved a constitutional amendment proposal known as the “Blinding Project,” which requires Congress to authorize any criminal accusation against legislators through a secret vote.
This move angered some Brazilians on social media who dubbed it the “bandits’ project.” Anger grew on Wednesday when lawmakers approved, with urgency, another bill to amnesty around 700 Bolsonaro supporters convicted of the January 2023 Brasilia insurrection.
The text could also include a pardon for Bolsonaro.
“Revolutionary” Spirit
The Congressional movements were criticized by Veloso, who said before the packed waterfront that musicians could not “ignore the horrors being suggested around us.”
The 83-year-old singer had earlier reminded his social media followers of the trio’s joint protest against the military dictatorship in 1968. Among the attendees was Giovana Araújo, a 27-year-old psychology student who described the concert as “revolutionary.”
“These artists were literally boycotted during the military dictatorship, and seeing them here is a symbol of resistance,” Araújo told AFP. “Once again, artists mobilizing the people to demand justice in this country,” added Yasmin Aimeé Coelho Pessoa, a 20-year-old sociology student with glitter in her eyes.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are the key figures mentioned? The main figures are Jair Bolsonaro, the former far-right president of Brazil; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the current leftist president of Brazil; and musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque.
- What are the protests about? The protests are against maneuvers in Congress to expand legislators’ immunity and a proposed amnesty that could benefit former president Jair Bolsonaro.
- What is the “Blinding Project”? The “Blinding Project” is a constitutional amendment proposal approved by the Chamber of Deputies that requires Congress to authorize any criminal accusation against legislators through a secret vote.
- What could the amnesty bill include? The amnesty bill could include pardoning Bolsonaro and around 700 of his supporters convicted of the January 2023 Brasilia insurrection.
