Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in the country’s capital to protest against shameless lawmakers seeking a pardon for convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro in a bid to shield themselves from criminal charges.
Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced last week to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup against the current president, Lula da Silva, in 2022.
Crowds on the streets on Sunday chanted, "No amnesty," targeting corrupt Congress members.
They were also protesting against a controversial bill passed this week that would shield lawmakers from being arrested openly; the secret ballot would now decide the matter of high-profile cases.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated the protests, writing on Instagram: "I stand with the Brazilian people. Today's demonstrations show that the population does not want impunity or amnesty."
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One of the protesters said, "This protection they seek is to camouflage corruption and impunity, and we won't let it happen. This is criminal conduct by Congress."
Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting to prevent Lula from taking office in a plan that judges said failed only due to a lack of support from the top military brass.
While the former president remains behind bars for 27 years, Congress is pushing to pardon some 700 of his supporters who were convicted of storming and hijacking the country’s government buildings a week after Lula’s victory in 2023.
The recently passed bill has further angered the public, who believe it would shield the conspirators and criminals.
Both bills face an uphill battle in the Senate. Lula has vowed to veto the amnesty bill. He also said the "Shielding Bill" was not the kind of "serious matter" that lawmakers should be dealing with.
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