Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in Belo Horizonte, the Federal District and in the other 25 states of the country and even abroad to protest against the government of President Jair Bolsonaro. On the day Brazil passed 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 (read more on pages 4, 5 and 6), protesters mainly complained about the CEO position in the face of the health crisis, as well as defending Bolsonaro’s impeachment request, more vaccinations against the novel coronavirus, and emergency aid worth R$600, among other social, economic and ethnic guidelines.
In Belo Horizonte, protesters gathered in Pra da Liberdade, in the Centro Sul district of Belo Horizonte, yesterday afternoon. The protest, called “Mobilizao por fora Bolsonaro”, in the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, featured banners and posters showing discontent with the position taken by the President of the Republic in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Demonstrators demanded Bolsonaro’s dismissal. Posters littered with protests showed “if people took to the streets to protest amid the epidemic, because the government is more dangerous than the virus itself.”
Protester Rosa Alves, 72, said the main motive for the fight was the lack of vaccination. Although we are afraid of the virus, we are more afraid of what will happen in Brazil. So here we are fighting for a vaccine, for democracy.” Students of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) Fernando Jr., 24, and Ana Beatriz Rodriguez, 22, believe that movement is very important.” Action is necessary, right. It is essential, essentially after security measures, that everyone wears a PFF2 mask, with PFF2 distributed to those who need it. It is the opposite of what we see in the law in favor of Bolsonaro, in a way that ensures the safety of the people. This is what we need. of people on the street demanding accountability and vaccination,” Anna Beatriz stated.
In Brasilia, Esplanada dos Ministrios was occupied with banners and posters (Photo: Sergio Lima/AFP)
In addition to the anger against Bolsonaro and calls for a vaccine, anti-racism, feminist, LGBTQ issues were also part of the protest. Those who could not be on the streets went to the windows to support the protesters. The organizers called for the use of masks and disarmament, but it went unnoticed at different times.
In the country’s capital, the act took place in Esplanada dos Ministrios. The protest was organized by social movements, indigenous groups and politicians. The demonstrators carried posters and banners criticizing the president and accusing him of genocide due to the number of deaths caused by the epidemic in Brazil.
And one of the biggest protests took place in Sao Paulo, where protesters occupied much of Avenida Paulista in an action that began in the afternoon and continued through the night. The road had to be closed to vehicular traffic, as at least nine streets were cut off by the crowd participants. Other points in the city of São Paulo, such as Praa Roosevelt and Praa do Ciclista, also recorded actions.
In Sao Paulo, yesterday’s protest completely occupied Avenida Paulista (Photo source: Paulo Pinto/AFP)
In Rio de Janeiro, most protesters protested against Avenida Presidente Vargas, chanting slogans such as “Fora Bolsonaro” and “I want a vaccine, no chloroquine.” They even carried banners and posters calling for the president’s impeachment, vaccination, health and work. Some celebrities attended the acting in Rio, such as singer Chico Puarque. Also participating in the demonstration in the capital, Rio de Janeiro, were actors Samantha Schmitz, Paulo Petti, Abi Coelho and Malo Mader with her musician husband Tony Bellotto.
Outside the country, more than 20 European cities have registered actions against Bolsonaro, such as Madrid (Spain), Vienna (Austria), Dublin (Ireland), Lisbon, Coimbra (Portugal), London (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig (Germany), and Brussels (Belgium) and Zurich (Switzerland).
In other countries in South America, Brazilians also protested against the president. Demonstrations took place in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Caracas (Venezuela) and Bogot (Colombia). There is still business in the US: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Florida and Los Angeles were some of the places that received protests against Bolsonaro.
