Thousands of protesters jammed Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue on Sunday to back ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is embroiled in several legal challenges, including accusations of conspiring to stage a coup after losing his 2022 election.
The ultra-right leader organized the protest to call for “freedom and justice,” uploading posters such as “Brazil first! God first!” on pictures of himself in front of crowds wearing Brazil’s national colors. The protest comes at a critical time with Bolsonaro, 70, accused of masterminding an unsuccessful conspiracy to upend the election that saw leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva come to office.
Prosecutors say the plot entailed killing Lula and other politicians but collapsed for the lack of military support. Bolsonaro has dismissed all the claims, calling the investigations politically motivated to keep him out of office in 2026. He is currently prohibited from seeking public office until 2030 for criticizing Brazil’s electronic voting system.
Apart from the plot to stage a coup, Bolsonaro and his son are currently being investigated for suspected illegal surveillance work while his father was in office.
The supporters also expressed anger during the protest about Brazil’s judiciary, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a habitual target of Bolsonaro’s ire. One of the protesters had called Moraes a “psychopath” who betrayed the constitution.
São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, a Bolsonaro supporter and possible 2026 presidential candidate, marched in the demonstration, chanting for “peace” and “liberty.”
Turnout has slowed, however, even at the fervor. The University of Sao Paulo approximated that an estimated 45,000 individuals attended a similar protest in April four times fewer than attended the February one.
Other protesters demanded amnesty for those convicted in the January 8, 2023, assault on government buildings in Brasilia, in which Bolsonaro supporters called for a military coup to remove Lula from power soon after his inauguration.