Brazil’s streets filled with anger on Sunday as tens of thousands rallied against moves in Congress to pass an amnesty that could spare former president Jair Bolsonaro from a 27-year prison sentence. Demonstrators accused lawmakers of plotting to shield themselves from prosecution while protecting the far-right leader.The protests, organised in all 26 states and the federal district, erupted just days after the lower house rushed forward a bill that could pardon Bolsonaro, his allies and hundreds of supporters convicted over the storming of government buildings in January 2023.Crowds roared “No amnesty” as they waved flags and carried signs condemning what many described as a shameless attempt to grant impunity
Anger at ‘Banditry Bill ’
Protesters were also outraged by a separate measure, dubbed the “Banditry Bill,” which would require secret ballots in Congress to authorise criminal proceedings against lawmakers. Critics said the move would effectively grant politicians immunity.“This protection they seek is to camouflage corruption, impunity,” said psychology student Giovana Araujo, who joined a musical rally on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. There, legendary musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Chico Buarque performed songs of resistance from Brazil’s dictatorship era. “Once again, artists are mobilising the people to demand justice in this country,” added sociology student Yasmin Aimee Coelho Pessoa.The University of São Paulo’s Political Debate Monitor estimated 42,000 protesters in São Paulo and a similar turnout in Rio — the largest left-wing mobilisation since Lula’s election victory in 2022. The scenes included blow-up dolls of Bolsonaro in prison stripes alongside one of Donald Trump, whose tariffs and sanctions on Brazil were cited by protesters as evidence of foreign meddling.Outrage has been fuelled further by revelations that several deputies voted for the “Shielding Bill” under pressure from party leaders. Some later apologised publicly, while President Lula vowed to veto any amnesty measure.“The left is reorganising in the face of all these atrocities. And I feel like we’ve reached that choking point,” said environmental engineer Henrique Marques, among thousands demonstrating in Brasilia.Polls underline the divide: 50% of Brazilians support Bolsonaro serving jail time, while 43% oppose it.