Brazilian Cities Host Demonstrations Showing Support for Lava Jato and Reforms

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Sunday, June 30th, more than 200 cities in all regions of the country hosted demonstrations. The protests, mainly organized by the groups Nas Ruas, Vem Pra Rua and Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL), advocate social welfare reform, the approval of Minister Sérgio Moro’s anti-crime package and the maintenance of Operation Lava Jato. Jovem Pan monitored the activities in exclusive coverage throughout the day.

Protests were organized after The Intercept Brasil reported on message exchanges attributed to Moro and the task force prosecutors. The groups intend to show that they are still supporting the former judge.

Most protests were scheduled in São Paulo, with at least 40 cities confirmed. In the state capital, where the most significant demonstrations tend to take place, the meeting point was Avenida Paulista.

In the remaining parts of the southeast, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo also held protests. Rio de Janeiro residents gathered on Avenida Atlântica. In Belo Horizonte, the event was scheduled at Praça da Liberdade. In Vitória, the event took place at Praça do Papa.

The lawn of the National Congress, in Brasília, was the stage for another demonstration. In Campo Grande, the state capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, protesters marched to the headquarters of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

In the north and northeast, all capital cities have scheduled protests. The first of them began early in the morning in Belém, capital of Pará. In the other states, the rallies were held in the cities’ central areas.

The south also hosted demonstrations in the capitals: Curitiba (Paraná), Florianópolis (Santa Catarina) and Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul), in addition to several other inland and coastal cities.

Brazilians abroad also scheduled demonstrations for Sunday. There were events planned in at least five cities in the USA, Portugal, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, as well as in Argentina.