‘Bolsonaro was the worst president’: Sao Paulo rallies against coup amnesty - Video
Residents of Sao Paulo gathered on December 10, National Human Rights Day, to protest against an amnesty request for individuals accused of planning a coup attempt.
The accused include former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others who allegedly sought to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from assuming office after the 2022 elections.
Protesters emphasised the importance of accountability to safeguard democracy. “We know that if you give amnesty to the coup plotters of January 8, new coups may be attempted, and we can't allow that,” said Manuela Silva, a 27-year-old student. “We need to put these criminals in jail, both those who orchestrated it and those who financed it. Bolsonaro was the worst president in the history of Brazil, and we students will fight to the end,” she told AFP.
Edson Carneiro da Silva, a 56-year-old teacher, echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’re here; we’re taking to the streets so that there will be no amnesty so that these coup plotters will be punished so that the country will have democracy, freedom, equality, and peace so that our people can work and live fully.”
The protest comes in the wake of a Federal Police investigation linking Bolsonaro to the alleged plot. According to the final report, evidence indicates that Bolsonaro “directly and effectively planned, acted, and had control over the acts carried out by the criminal organisation that aimed to carry out a coup d’état and abolish the Democratic Rule of Law.”
Bolsonaro, however, has denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot. Despite his denial, the protesters remain resolute in their demand for justice, urging authorities to hold all those involved accountable.
