Tens of thousands took to the streets across Brazil on Sunday to oppose proposed laws that could grant amnesty to former president Jair Bolsonaro and shield lawmakers from prosecution. Demonstrators accused Congress of trying to “legalise impunity” while protecting the far-right leader from a possible 27-year prison sentence.
Protests erupted in all 26 states and the federal district after the lower house fast-tracked a bill that could pardon Bolsonaro, his allies, and hundreds of supporters convicted for the January 2023 storming of government buildings. Crowds waved flags, held banners reading “No Amnesty,” and paraded giant blow-up dolls of Bolsonaro in prison stripes alongside one of Donald Trump.
Fury Over the ‘Banditry Bill’
Outrage also targeted another proposal, dubbed the “Banditry Bill,” which would enforce secret ballots in Congress to approve criminal cases against legislators. Critics warned it would allow lawmakers to evade accountability.
“This protection they seek is to camouflage corruption and impunity,” said psychology student Giovana Araujo, speaking from Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, where legendary musicians Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque performed resistance songs from Brazil’s dictatorship era.
The University of São Paulo’s Political Debate Monitor estimated 42,000 demonstrators in São Paulo and a similar turnout in Rio — the largest left-wing mobilisation since Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory.
President Lula has vowed to veto any amnesty law. Several lawmakers who backed the measures under party pressure have since apologised publicly, further stoking anger.
“The left is reorganising in the face of these atrocities. We’ve reached a breaking point,” said environmental engineer Henrique Marques, marching in Brasília.
Polls reflect the polarisation: 50% of Brazilians support Bolsonaro serving jail time, while 43% oppose it.
