Massive Protests Erupt Across Brazil Against Bolsonaro Pardon and Lawmaker Immunity Bill
Massive Protests Erupt Across Brazil Against Bolsonaro Pardon and Lawmaker Immunity Bill
Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday, September 21, 2025, in a nationwide wave of protests against a contentious bill that could grant amnesty to former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, convicted for their involvement in a 2023 coup attempt. The demonstrations, held across all 26 states and the federal district, also targeted a constitutional amendment recently passed by the lower house on Tuesday, September 16, designed to significantly impede the arrest or prosecution of lawmakers.
The impetus for the widespread protests intensified following the lower house’s legislative actions. After Tuesday’s vote on lawmaker immunity, the chamber expedited a bill on Wednesday, September 17, backed by right-wing opposition, specifically aimed at pardoning Bolsonaro, his close associates, and hundreds of supporters implicated in the January 2023 uprising.
Crowd estimates from the University of São Paulo’s Monitor of Political Debate and the nonprofit More in Common reported substantial participation, with 42,400 protesters in São Paulo and 41,800 in Rio de Janeiro. Pablo Ortellado, director of the Monitor of Political Debate, highlighted these figures as the largest left-wing mobilization since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 2022 electoral victory, indicating a notable shift in Brazil’s protest landscape.
Bolsonaro was sentenced on September 11, 2025, to 27 years and three months in prison for his efforts to retain power after his 2022 re-election defeat, marking a historic conviction in Latin America’s largest economy. He has consistently maintained his innocence.
Prominent Brazilian artists, including music legends Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, and Gilberto Gil, played a key role in organizing and promoting the Sunday demonstrations, reuniting in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana to voice their opposition. Actor Wagner Moura also participated in protests in Salvador, emphasizing the profound significance of this moment for Brazilian democracy. Beyond rejecting the proposed amnesty and expanded protections for lawmakers, protesters also asserted national pride, countering recent U.S. sanctions against Brazil.
The proposed amnesty bill now moves to the Senate for a vote, further intensifying the political discourse and underscoring the deep divisions within the country. A Datafolha poll released September 16 indicated that 50% of respondents believe Bolsonaro should be jailed.
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