Tens of thousands of people filled the streets and beaches of Brazil on Sunday, demanding that no amnesty be granted to former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was recently convicted of plotting a coup. Protesters called for full accountability after the far-right populist was sentenced to 27 years in prison earlier this month for attempting to cling to power following his 2022 defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Demonstrators gathered in some of Brazil’s largest cities to oppose rightwing efforts to free Bolsonaro from punishment for his failed power grab, which prosecutors say included a plan to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and a supreme court judge.

The pro-democracy rallies were spearheaded by some of Brazil’s most iconic cultural figures. Legendary musicians Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, and Gilberto Gil, who resisted Brazil’s 1964-85 military dictatorship, performed anti-dictatorship classics before massive crowds.

“The Brazilian people elected Lula – and that’s why democracy in Brazil endures,” said Veloso, 83, addressing tens of thousands gathered on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach despite scorching 35°C heat.

As the musicians sang, the crowd chanted “Sem anistia” (“No amnesty”), voicing their rejection of Bolsonaro’s supporters’ push for clemency.

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Anger over legislation shielding politicians

Protesters also condemned a draft bill recently passed by Brazil’s conservative-dominated lower house. Critics labeled it the “Bandit’s Bill,” warning it would make it harder to prosecute or arrest lawmakers accused of crimes.

In Belo Horizonte, local singer Fernanda Takai denounced these maneuvers as “shameless,” urging Brazilians to resist attempts to shield corrupt politicians.

In the capital, Brasilia, where Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest, thousands gathered near Congress and the Supreme Court, the very buildings trashed by rightwing radicals during the January 8, 2023 riots at the peak of Bolsonaro’s coup attempt.

Demonstrations also spread abroad, with rallies in Berlin, Lisbon, and London, where protesters gathered outside parliament demanding that Bolsonaro face justice.

Calls to learn from Brazil’s dictatorship-era amnesty

For many, the protests reflected a deeper lesson from Brazil’s history. Chico Buarque, who was forced into exile in Italy during the military dictatorship, rejected the idea of forgiving Bolsonaro and his seven co-conspirators.

“We do not want a repeat of the 1979 amnesty … which meant that nobody was punished [for the regime’s crimes],” Buarque said in an interview with news website UOL before the marches.

“It was the putschists who committed the crime. We [democrats] owe them nothing,” he added.

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