Thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gathered on Copacabana Beach on Sunday to show their support for the far-right politician who has been charged with plotting a coup.
Mr Bolsonaro and his closest allies took part in the protest, during which demonstrators also called on Congress to grant amnesty to those jailed for their role in the riots on January 8, 2023, when government buildings were looted in the Brazilian capital.
Crowds wearing Brazil's yellow and green national jersey chanted slogans and held signs reading “Amnesty now!”
Local media reported that about 18,000 people attended the rally, according to a monitoring project by the University of Sao Paulo. Mr. Bolsonaro's allies had hoped to draw a crowd of one million.
Copacabana has repeatedly been the site of rallies organised by Mr Bolsonaro as he sought to demonstrate his political power.
Last month, Brazil’s attorney general formally charged Mr. Bolsonaro with attempting a coup to stay in power after his defeat in the 2022 election by the incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The plot allegedly included plans to poison Mr. Lula and shoot dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading several cases against him.
After losing to Mr Lula, Mr Bolsonaro refused to accept the election results and left for the United States days before the end of his presidential term.
Mr Bolsonaro denies the charges and says he is a victim of political repression. His defence is seeking to have the case referred to the full Supreme Court, where he has appointed two of the 11 judges.
If found guilty, the former president could face decades in prison.
Speaking at the demonstration, Mr Bolsonaro again denied the charges against him.
“Nobody believes this story. The only reason this coup story wasn't perfect for them was because I was in the United States. If I were here, I would still be in jail or maybe killed by them. I'm a problem for them whether I'm in jail or dead,” he said.
The rally in support of Bolsonaro comes nine days before a panel of five of Brazil's 11 Supreme Court justices meets in Brasilia to decide whether the former president and
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
