With the advance of Bill 2162/23, which could grant amnesty to those involved in the January 8, 2023 coup attempt, including former president Jair Bolsonaro and military officers convicted last week by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), popular movements are calling for nationwide demonstrations this Sunday (21).
The Frente Povo Sem Medo (People Without Fear Front) has already announced mobilizations in São Paulo (at the São Paulo Museum of Art, MASP, 2 p.m.), Fortaleza (Iracema Guardian Statue, 4:30 p.m.), and Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana, 2 p.m.). Additional cities are listed below.
Left-wing congressman Guilherme Boulos announced the protests during Wednesday’s vote to fast-track the bill, a motion pushed by Chamber president Hugo Motta. “After approving the ‘Impunity Amendment,’ Congress rushed through the urgency vote on the amnesty bill without even debating it. Meanwhile, the income tax exemption bill sleeps in while Congress turns its back on the people. On Sunday, we’ll be on the streets across Brazil to respond to this affront by the right and the congressional majority,” Boulos said in a video on social media.
State deputy Rosa Amorim described the bill as a continuation of the January 8 coup attempt. “Forgiving the crimes of the gang led by Jair Bolsonaro gives the far right a green light to keep conspiring against our democracy and our hard-won rights. We need maximum mobilization in the streets and on social media to block this absurd project,” she told BdF.
Camila Moraes, general secretary of the National Union of Students (UNE), stressed that the main goal of the protests is to pressure Congress to reject amnesty for coup plotters and focus instead on measures that benefit the population, such as the income tax exemption for those earning up to US$1,000 per month, stalled since March. “We must build social pressure to denounce these congressional attacks and to push for policies truly connected to the people’s needs and challenges,” she said, adding that polls show most Brazilians oppose amnesty for Bolsonaro and January 8 rioters.
Ana Paula Perles, coordinator of Frente Povo Sem Medo, criticized Congress for recent moves: “This week was a horror show. Eduardo Bolsonaro became minority leader despite being abroad and conspiring against the country. Lawmakers create shields to avoid investigation for their crimes. And now, approving urgency for the amnesty bill is an immense absurdity. We’re going to the streets to demand Congress back down. We cannot accept this.”
On Thursday morning (18), Chamber president Hugo Motta appointed deputy Paulinho da Força as rapporteur of Bill 2162/23. Motta wrote on X that Paulinho “will conduct the discussions with the necessary balance.” The text proposes amnesty for those who took part in politically motivated demonstrations between October 30, 2022, and the date the law comes into effect.
The urgency motion was approved Wednesday night with 311 votes in favor, 163 against, and seven abstentions, allowing the bill to be voted in plenary at any time.
Confirmed protest locations against the amnesty bill:
Curitiba – 2 p.m. – Boca Maldita
Fortaleza – 4:30 p.m. – Iracema Statue
Porto Alegre – 2 p.m. – Redenção
Recife – 2 p.m. – Ginásio Pernambuco
Rio de Janeiro – 2 p.m. – Copacabana
Salvador – 9 a.m. – Morro do Cristo
São Paulo – 2 p.m. – MASP
Uberlândia – 9 a.m. – Feira Livre do Bairro Luizote
