Pro-Moro and Anti “Abuse of Authority” Bill Protests Held Throughout Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Demonstrations were held in at least twelve states and the Federal District on Sunday, August 25th, against the Abuse of Authority Bill which was passed by Congress and is pending President Jair Bolsonaro‘s signature.

Protests were recorded in all regions of the country. In the Southeast, they took place in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo. In the South, there was a demonstration in Curitiba, capital of Paraná, while in the Midwest actions took place in Goiás and the Federal District.

In the Northeast, Bahia, Maranhão, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, and Alagoas saw demonstrations, as well as Belém, the capital of Pará, in the North.

Protests were convened by groups such as “Vem pra Rua” (Come to the Street), which call on the president to veto the Abuse of Authority bill, but not only that.

The protests also call for the appointment of prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol, coordinator of the Lava Jato task force in Curitiba, as PGR (Federal Prosecutor General), the impeachment of Dias Toffoli, the presiding justice of the Federal Supreme Court, the continued incarceration of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and state their support for Justice Minister Sérgio Moro and Bolsonaro’s government.

The protests on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo included a giant figure of the former judge with the slogan “You messed with Moro, you messed with the Brazilian people.”

On August 14th, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that toughens punishment for abuse of authority by public officials, including judges and prosecutors.

The approved bill, which only depends on Bolsonaro’s signature for enactment, establishes the crime of abuse of authority for those who obtain evidence through illegal means or who request an investigation into someone in the absence of evidence, among other provisions.