Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday in major cities to protest a legislative push that seeks to reduce the jail sentence of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. The protests came in response to a bill that would potentially soften the punishment for those involved in the January 2023 attack on government buildings, an effort viewed by many as an attempt to downplay the severity of their actions, reports Reuters.
Organized by social groups, political parties, and prominent artists, the demonstrations condemned lawmakers for attempting to reduce Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence, handed down in September for his role in attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. The protests also targeted efforts to lessen penalties for Bolsonaro's supporters who stormed government buildings in Brasília in a failed bid to overturn the results.
This marked the first major public demonstration since Bolsonaro began serving his prison sentence last month in a specially designed cell at a federal police facility in Brasília. According to researchers from the University of São Paulo, around 15,000 people rallied in São Paulo, the country's largest city, though the turnout was smaller than the protest held in September. Meanwhile, approximately 20,000 people gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Cláudio Pfeil, a teacher at the Rio protest, said he was demonstrating to show that Brazilians would not accept any leniency for those who attempted to undermine democracy. "All of them are paying for their crimes," he declared. "We won’t accept even a centimeter of retreat."
The Rio protest was led by prominent Brazilian musicians, including 83-year-old Caetano Veloso, a long-time critic of Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s.
The bill, which passed with a conservative majority in the lower house of Congress last week, aims to reduce Bolsonaro's sentence to just over two years. However, it still requires approval from the Senate before it can be enacted. The bill also proposes to reduce the penalties for Bolsonaro’s supporters involved in the storming of government buildings in Brasília earlier this year. However, even if the bill passes, Bolsonaro, now 70 years old, would still be barred from holding office for another three decades.
Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro and his allies in the military and government in September, marking the first time Brazil has punished military officers for attempting to overthrow democracy—a significant step in the country’s history, which has been marred by violent coups.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 elections, is expected to veto the bill if it passes the Senate. However, Congress could override his veto, a possibility that would likely lead to legal challenges in the Supreme Court.
The debate over Bolsonaro’s sentence and the attempts to soften the punishment for those involved in the January attacks have deeply divided Brazil, highlighting the ongoing struggle over the country’s democratic integrity and the legacy of Bolsonaro’s far-right political movement.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
