Mass Protests in Brazil Against Bolsonaro Amnesty

By Staff, Agencies

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets and beaches of Brazil on Sunday, demanding that no amnesty be granted to former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was recently convicted of plotting a coup.

Protesters called for full accountability after the far-right populist was sentenced to 27 years in prison earlier this month for attempting to cling to power following his 2022 defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Demonstrators gathered in some of Brazil’s largest cities to oppose rightwing efforts to free Bolsonaro from punishment for his failed power grab, which prosecutors say included a plan to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and a supreme court judge.

Pro-democracy rallies led by iconic artists saw legends like Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, and Gilberto Gil perform anti-dictatorship songs before huge crowds.

“The Brazilian people elected Lula – and that’s why democracy in Brazil endures,” said Veloso, 83, addressing tens of thousands gathered on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach despite scorching 35°C heat.

As the musicians sang, the crowd chanted “Sem anistia” [“No amnesty”], voicing their rejection of Bolsonaro’s supporters’ push for clemency.

Protesters also slammed a draft bill passed by Brazil’s conservative-led lower house, dubbed the “Bandit’s Bill” for shielding lawmakers from prosecution.

In Belo Horizonte, local singer Fernanda Takai denounced these maneuvers as “shameless,” urging Brazilians to resist attempts to shield corrupt politicians.

In Brasilia, where Bolsonaro is under house arrest, thousands rallied near Congress and the Supreme Court—sites vandalized by rightwing radicals during the January 8, 2023 coup attempt.

Demonstrations also spread abroad, with rallies in Berlin, Lisbon, and London, where protesters gathered outside parliament demanding that Bolsonaro face justice.

For many, the protests echoed lessons from Brazil’s past. Exiled during the dictatorship, Chico Buarque rejected forgiving Bolsonaro and his seven co-conspirators.

“We do not want a repeat of the 1979 amnesty … which meant that nobody was punished [for the regime’s crimes],” Buarque said in an interview with news website UOL before the marches.

“It was the putschists who committed the crime. We [democrats] owe them nothing,” he added.