Bolsonaro Rallies a Significant Crowd in São Paulo as Legal Battles Intensify

On June 29, 2025, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro led a major rally on São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue, drawing a significant crowd.

The event, organized by evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia, unfolded as Bolsonaro faces a Supreme Court trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2022 presidential election.

Official sources confirm Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030 due to electoral violations.

Prominent political figures used the stage to deliver sharp messages. Pastor Silas Malafaia called Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes a “dictator in robes.”

He accused the Court of instituting censorship on social media and using high-profile arrests as distractions from damaging news.

Malafaia dismissed the so-called “parallel Abin” scandal—an investigation into alleged illegal intelligence operations under Bolsonaro—as a “farce.”

He argued that the rally was a direct response to what he described as judicial overreach and political persecution.

Bolsonaro Rallies a Significant Crowd in São Paulo as Legal Battles Intensify

Bolsonaro addressed supporters, saying he does not need to return to the presidency but urged them to secure 50% of congressional seats for right-wing parties in 2026.

He claimed, “If you give me 50% of the Chamber and 50% of the Senate, I will change Brazil’s destiny. I don’t even need to be president.”

Bolsonaro insisted that the legal actions against him aim not just to imprison him but to eliminate him from political life.

He also called for amnesty for those imprisoned after the January 8, 2023, riots, labeling them innocent and accusing President Lula’s administration of orchestrating the unrest.

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, a leading conservative figure, praised Bolsonaro’s leadership and criticized the current government’s economic policies.

He called the Lula administration “spendthrift” and blamed high interest rates and rising taxes for harming small businesses and producers.

Tarcísio led chants of “Fora PT” (“Out with the Workers’ Party”) and said, “The captain’s mission isn’t over. He will still contribute much to Brazil.”

He avoided direct criticism of the Supreme Court, reflecting a cautious approach toward the judiciary.

Other politicians, such as Governor Romeu Zema of Minas Gerais, echoed calls for broad amnesty and criticized what they see as judicial bias.

Zema described Bolsonaro as the most prominent figure on the right and said amnesty would help reduce polarization.

Major national outlets covered the demonstration widely, but their tone reflected their editorial stance.

Critical outlets focused on the legal gravity of charges against Bolsonaro, ongoing investigations, and the January 8, 2023, riots.

They highlighted accusations of attempted coup and Bolsonaro’s ban from office until 2030, stressing risks to democracy.

Sympathetic outlets emphasized the rally’s size, energy, and right-wing leaders, framing it as a protest against judicial persecution.