Brazil– Tens of thousands of Brazilians rallied in support of and against former President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday, September 7, 2025, as the country’s Supreme Court prepares to deliver its verdict in his trial on charges of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat.
The rallies, held across major cities including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia, reflect the deep divisions within Brazil over Bolsonaro’s fate.
Bolsonaro’s supporters, waving flags of Brazil and the United States, insisted on his innocence, while thousands more rallied for his conviction.
The 70-year-old former army captain risks up to 43 years in prison if convicted of orchestrating a coup to stay in power despite his election loss. Bolsonaro has denied the charges, which have also sparked anger from US President Donald Trump.
Trump has called the legal proceedings against Bolsonaro a “witch-hunt” and imposed high tariffs on Brazilian products, as well as sanctions on the justices presiding over his trial.
In Sao Paulo, 40,000 supporters gathered to show their backing for Bolsonaro, including his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro. “He loves his nation and his people, but he is suffering. I tell him every day that he will win. I believe and I trust in God’s answer to our nation,” Michelle Bolsonaro said in a tearful speech.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president’s eldest son, told supporters that his father will face the situation head-on “to demonstrate yet again that he will not give up on Brazil”. The senator wore a shirt that read “Bolsonaro 2026”, despite his father being barred from running for office until 2030.
On the other hand, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the traditional Independence Day military parade in Brasilia, which had the motto “Sovereign Brazil” in response to the US tariffs imposed by Trump.
Lula delivered a national message, saying, “years ago, we gained our sovereignty. We are not and will never again become a colony of anyone. We can take care of our own land and people without the interference of any foreign government.”
Earlier on Sunday, trade unions and left-wing social movements rallied thousands of people in Sao Paulo to protest against a proposal to offer amnesty to Bolsonaro and hundreds of his supporters who were convicted over the January 8, 2023, storming of the Supreme Court, the presidential palace, and the Congress in Brasilia.
Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, one of the supporters of the proposal, said, “History has already shown that amnesty and forgiveness are the best remedies to pacify the country.” However, Lula has spoken against the governor’s efforts, warning that any amnesty would carry significant risks.
The trial has also strained relations between Brazil and the US, with Trump accusing Brazil and members of the BRICS group of trying to undermine the US dollar.
In response, Lula has called for an emergency meeting of BRICS leaders to discuss a response to the tariffs. Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman reported that Brazilians are bracing for new US sanctions as they commemorate their independence.
