Thousands rally against pardon for Bolsonaro across 33 cities
Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of the country’s capital cities on Sunday (Sep. 21) to protest against amnesty for those convicted of attempting a coup d’état and to oppose a constitutional amendment bill requiring congressional permission to criminally prosecute representatives and senators. 
Crowds gathered in the streets of major cities – Salvador, Recife, Natal, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, among others. In total, 33 cities held demonstrations, including all 27 state capitals.
Under the slogan “Congress – enemy of the people,” protesters demanded the arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup d’état, criminal organization, and other crimes.
In São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, some 42,400 people gathered on Paulista avenue. Over 40 thousand people are also estimated to have gained the streets in Rio de Janeiro. Shouting “no amnesty” and “long live democracy,” protesters gathered on Copacabana beach to listen to speeches by political leaders and watch concerts by singers like Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola, and Djavan.
In the country’s capital, Brasília, thousands of people protested outside ministry buildings. They occupied all six lanes of the main thoroughfare on their 1.5-km march to Congress. The demonstrators shouted “no amnesty” and “we want Bolsonaro in jail,” demanding that the former president’s sentence of 27 years and three months in prison be enforced. The penalty was determined by the Supreme Court, which recognized the guilt of Bolsonaro and his allies in the coup plot that attempted to reverse the results of the 2022 elections and culminated in the attacks on government buildings on January 8, 2023.
In João Pessoa, capital of Paraíba state, slogans were directed at lower house speaker Hugo Motta, who was elected by the state. The parliamentarian was one of the main targets of the protests due to his role in scheduling the urgent vote that approved the constitutional amendment bill known as the shielding amendment.
Organized by groups linked to the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), the Workers’ Party (PT), as well as popular movements, the rallies were also attended by representatives from unions, student groups, and artists, as well as other left-wing and center-left political parties.
