Thousands of supporters of former rallied at Brazil’s famous Copacabana Beach on Sunday to protest the charges the right-wing populist leader faces for an alleged coup attempt.
joined the protest, which also called for Congress to grant amnesty to those in jail for their roles in the January 8, 2023 riot, when in the capital Brasilia, demanding the military oust the incoming President who defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.
A swarm of people wearing Brazil’s yellow-and-green national soccer jersey chanted and held placards reading “Amnesty, now!”
According to local reports, some 18,000 people attended the protests, a far cry from the 1 million that organizers had been hoping for.
The protest comes ahead of a Supreme Court decision over whether Bolsonaro and several of his allies will stand trial for their alleged role in the attempted coup.
The 69-year-old former president could be sentenced to more than 40 years behind bars if found guilty.
Bolsonaro decries election ban
Bolsonaro told his supporters in Rio de Janeiro that a ban on him seeking re-election next year amounted to a “denial of democracy.”
The far-right has been trying to posture himself as a leading candidate in the elections next year even though he has been barred from holding office until 2030 for making unsubstantiated claims of fraud in Brazil’s electronic voting system.
He is seeking to emulate US President Donald Trump’s political comeback after he also faced accusations of attempting to overturn the election of Joe Biden in 2021 when his supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington DC.
A photo of Trump holding up his fist with a bleeding ear after being fired at during a campaign rally was on display on the Copacabana stage.
“I want to tell all those who don’t like me in Brasilia: elections without Bolsonaro are a denial of democracy in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said.
Last month, after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula. After his defeat to Lula, Bolsonaro refused to concede and left for the US.
Not only has Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing, he has been trying to amass support and has said he is a victim of political persecution. He is hoping that Congress will overturn his election ban.
“Nobody buys that story. The only reason this coup story wasn’t perfect for them was because I was in the United States. If I’d been here, I’d still be in prison, or maybe killed by them. I’m going to be a problem for them, in prison or dead,” he said.
Edited by: Alex Berry
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