Independence Day in Brazil became a feast day for Jair Bolsonaro. The right-wing head of state had mobilized hundreds of thousands of supporters who supported him with anti-democratic slogans. Bolsonaro himself fueled the conflict with the Supreme Court in Brasilia. “Either the head of this state authority keeps his judge in check, or this violence will suffer what we do not want,” he said in his speech on Tuesday to court president Luiz Fux.
In Sao Paulo, Bolsonaro repeated his threats and called on his followers to disobey. “I want to tell you that this president will no longer follow any decision made by Mr Alexandre de Moraes,” said the head of state. Moraes, Supreme Court Justice (STF), had Bolsonaro supporters arrested on charges of inciting violence and spreading false reports. The court is investigating the president, among other things because of the spread of fake news.
Only God could get him out of the “Palacio do Planalto”, the government palace, said Bolsonaro. Alexandre de Moraes defended the democratic achievements. “On this September 7th we celebrate our independence, which has guaranteed our freedom and is only strengthened with absolute respect for democracy,” he wrote on Twitter.
Bolsonaro and his supporters have attacked democratic institutions in the country on several occasions. Supporters only broke through the barriers to the government district on Monday evening. During Tuesday’s demonstrations, people displayed threats against the Supreme Court and Congress on banners and posters. They called for military intervention.
