Rio Court Bans Anti-Quarantine Motorcade, Imposes R$50,000 Fine

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Rio’s Justice banned a motorcade in the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro that would call for the end of quarantine in the country.

A fine of R$50,000 was imposed on the organizers of this Saturday’s protest were they to pursue the plan to move from Barra da Tijuca, in the west zone, to the Guanabara Palace, in the south zone, where the state government headquarters is located. Bolsonarist demonstrators are focused on Governor Wilson Witzel and his measures to restrict circulation.

The petition for a ban on the motorcade was lodged by the Rio Prosecutor’s Office, which also filed for injunctions in Angra dos Reis, Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa. In the municipalities of Búzios, Cabo Frio, Arraial do Cabo, Macaé and Teresópolis, there was a recommendation against demonstrations but no injunction was issued by the court.

The ruling regarding the capital’s case was rendered on the evening shift on Friday, March 27th. Hours before, demonstrators in favor of President Jair Bolsonaro’s views on the new coronavirus attempted to start a motorcade that would depart from the Legislative Assembly of Rio (ALERJ). The low attendance, however, frustrated the organizers’ ambitions.

The judge on duty considered that restricting crowds is required to halt the spread of the virus, and that the events scheduled for the weekend would run counter to the measures adopted by the government.