In Sao Paulo, Brazil, many people gathered this Sunday for a massive demonstration. They’re demanding democracy and backing former president Jair Bolsonaro.
This protest is one of the biggest so far. They’re calling for the government to respect the law and stop unfairly targeting people politically, especially since Lula da Silva, a leftist leader, took office.
Bolsonaro believes he might be detained by the authorities soon.
Context
Presidential election results:
Some supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the election to left-wing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October 2022, have been demanding the military to intervene and overturn the vote.
They claim that the electronic ballot system was fraudulent, despite no evidence to support that allegation.
On January 9, 2024, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, including the Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court.
They ransacked the offices, clashed with security forces, and set fires. About 1,500 people were detained after the riots. Bolsonaro, who is currently in the US, denied encouraging the attack and said he was hospitalized for abdominal pain.
The riots have been widely condemned by world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, as an attack on democracy.
Lula, who was sworn in as the new president on January 1, called the invaders terrorists and said they would be punished. He also appealed to the minority in the streets to go home and respect the democratic process.
Meanwhile, some Bolsonaro supporters have remained in the streets, camping outside army buildings and holding rallies in various cities.
They wear yellow and green, the colors of the national flag, and chant slogans such as “SOS, armed forces” and “save Brazil”.
However, the protests have dwindled since the election, and the armed forces have issued a statement saying that any controversies must be resolved through legal means.
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