Last stand or political surge? Cornered by legal investigations and seriously threatened with prison, Jair Bolsonaro took the lead on Sunday, February 25, in a large demonstration of support for himself. Organized on Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, it brought together several tens, even hundreds of thousands of far-right activists dressed in jerseys of the Seleçao, the national football team.
Bolsonaristas from all over the country responded to their leader’s call. “We were not going to let our captain down at such a difficult time for him! », proclaims Antonio Carlos. At 76 years old, this seasoned and bearded activist spent twenty hours on a bus leaving his town of Linhares, located more than 1,000 kilometers away, to see his champion. “The judges want to imprison Bolsonaro because, precisely, he is an honest man! »he firmly believes.
“We are also here to defend our freedom: Brazil is sinking into dictatorship! », continues Antonio Carlos, who fulminates against the police operation which targeted, on February 8, Jair Bolsonaro and his relatives, suspected of having tried to organize a putsch in 2022 in order to overturn the results of the presidential election won by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “ These are all lies. Bolsonaro is a victim of persecution! »decides the septuagenarian.
In order not to be open to accusations in court, demonstrators were ordered not to brandish any signs on Paulista. The event was even described as a “beautiful celebration of democracy” by its official organizer, the far-right evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia. Symbolically, a man disguised as an angel with pearly wings stands near the main stage.
“What I’m looking for is pacification”
The crowd is there, of course. But we are far from the enthusiasm of previous mobilizations. Under a beautiful sun, faces remain closed, words are controlled. The fear of being thrown in prison for calling for a putsch is real among these Bolsonarists, who are now holding back their attacks against the hated judges of the Federal Supreme Court. ” People are scared. Certain opinions are now considered crimes in Brazil”jokes a demonstrator crossed on the Paulista.
In the crowd, Israeli flags are almost as numerous as those of Brazil. The statements of left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who recently compared the war in Gaza to the Holocaust, have repulsed far-right evangelicals, fierce supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu. “Lula is an anti-Semite who sponsors Hamas, terrorists and enemies of the Jews, it’s a shame! »thunders Sandro, 47 years old, logistician at the large port of Santos, who wears a brand new t-shirt with banners. auriverde and Star of David.
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