Tens of thousands of Brazilians poured into the streets of major cities on Sunday in the country’s largest leftist demonstrations in years, protesting efforts by Congress to shield former President Jair Bolsonaro and federal lawmakers from prosecution. The rallies, organized by social movements, unions, and political parties, came in response to proposed amnesty bills and constitutional amendments that critics say would grant impunity to coup plotters and corrupt officials.
The protests followed Bolsonaro’s conviction this month for plotting a coup after his supporters stormed government buildings in 2023. Now under house arrest while appealing a 27-year prison sentence, Bolsonaro has received strong backing from allies pushing for legislative amnesty and reduced penalties for those convicted in connection with the failed insurrection. Demonstrators in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and other cities denounced these efforts, chanting “No amnesty” and carrying banners warning against a return to dictatorship.
In Sao Paulo, researchers estimated that some 40,000 people filled Avenida Paulista, with musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque joining performances in Rio’s Copacabana Beach protests. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva praised the demonstrations, saying Brazilians had made it clear they reject impunity. “The National Congress must focus on measures that benefit the people, not protect coup plotters,” Lula said in a social media post.
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