On this national independence day, and one month before the municipal elections, the former far-right president wants to show that he can still carry all his weight after leaving power at the end of 2022.
At the call of former president Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian right is demonstrating this Saturday, September 7 in São Paulo for the “democracy” and the “freedom”in the midst of a debate on freedom of expression after the suspension of X, his favorite social network. On this national independence day, and one month before the municipal elections, the former far-right leader wants to show that he can still carry his weight after leaving power at the end of 2022.
“There is no point in celebrating our independence if we are deprived of our freedom”he said in a video in which he called for demonstrations “in yellow and green”colours of the Brazilian flag, from 2 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) on Paulista Avenue, the emblematic artery of the largest megalopolis in Latin America.
The targeted judicial system
The judiciary is expected to be heavily targeted in the speeches, particularly Alexandre de Moraes, a powerful Supreme Court justice. A bête noire of the Bolsonaristas, Judge Moraes was president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal when the former president was sentenced last year to eight years of ineligibility for his unproven attacks on the electronic ballot system. He is also leading most of the multiple investigations targeting Jair Bolsonaro.
And it was he who, last week, ordered the suspension of X, accusing the platform of American billionaire Elon Musk of having ignored a series of court decisions linked to the fight against disinformation.
“Dictator in a toga”
Saturday’s demonstration had been called even before the suspension of the old Twitter, a privileged arena for an ultra-polarized debate in Brazil. The right, which readily makes Elon Musk its champion, denounced the measure in the name of freedom of expression. This suspension is a “a severe blow to our freedom and legal security”denounced Jair Bolsonaro on LinkedIn on Thursday.
But the left of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defended this drastic choice. “We will always be intolerant of anyone, regardless of wealth, who defies Brazilian law”warned Lula in a speech on the eve of the national holiday, without mentioning the entrepreneur by name. Democracy, “It is not the right to lie, to spread hatred and to violate the will of the people”he added.
Influential evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia, one of the organizers of Saturday’s demonstration, is demanding “the dismissal of the dictator in toga Alexandre de Moraes” – the «bean sprouts» black being the attire of the Supreme Court judges. A request for impeachment is expected to be filed Monday in the Senate by right-wing parliamentarians. This move, whose outcome is currently very uncertain, is supported by posts from Elon Musk.
Weakened government
Saturday’s meeting comes at a time when the government is weakened by its most serious scandal. Accused of sexual harassment by several women, including another minister, Human Rights Minister Silvio Almeida, who denies everything, was dismissed on Friday evening.
In February, a pro-Bolsonaro demonstration turned into a show of force, drawing 185,000 people, according to an estimate by researchers at the University of São Paulo. Another in Rio in April was less successful.
“We will see what the true dimension of Bolsonarism is in Brazil”told AFP Geraldo Monteiro, political scientist from the University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj), for whom the ex-president is trying to “appropriating the symbols of patriotism” like Independence Day.
Jair Bolsonaro asked his supporters to “not to take part in government-organized independence commemoration ceremonies” Saturday. Lula is due to attend the traditional September 7 parade in Brasilia this morning.
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