Protests Against Brazil’s President Temer Continue

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Less than a week after the impeachment of the country’s first woman president, Dilma Rousseff, thousands of protesters are back on the streets throughout Brazil, to demand the ousting of President Michel Temer, Rousseff’s vice-president who took over the office.

Thousands took to the streets in Brazil’s largest cities with signs of “Fora Temer” (Temer Out). The most violent protests have been seen in São Paulo, where police have resorted to tear gas to disperse violent groups at the end of the rallies.

Groups of protesters have been gathering every day in different parts of the city to denounce the installation of the new federal administration. On Thursday the group calling themselves Black Blocks destroyed the front of bank agencies and set fires along Avenida Paulista to protest against the impeachment.

On Sunday, as most protesters were leaving the rally, violence erupted again and military police started to throw stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons to contain the more violent protesters. “In initially peaceful demonstration, vandals act and force MP (Military Police) to intervene with moderate use of force/chemical ammunition,” stated the twitter account of São Paulo’s Military Police.

In Rio de Janeiro a crowd of between seven thousand and ten thousand, according to organizers, gathered to protest against government of President Michel Temer. The group demanded new elections.

In China for the G20 meeting, President Temer downplayed the recent protests against him. “It is natural that some groups get together to protest. But these are small and predatory groups. It was not a democratic demonstration. Only 30, 40 people destroying a car,” he told journalists.