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SOME THREE MILLION Brazilians enraged at corruption, recession and demanding the removal of leftist President Dilma Rousseff demonstrated across Latin America’s biggest nation yesterday.
Chanting “Dilma out!” and draped in the bright yellow and green national flag, protesters across Brazil sought to pressure Congress into accelerating impeachment proceedings against the leftist leader.
The huge turnout was likely to spur deputies in Congress who had been wavering over whether or not to drop support for the embattled president.
In Sao Paulo, the most populous city and an opposition stronghold, a sea of people filled the central avenue for a protest that state police said drew a “historic” 1.4 million demonstrators.
A police count compiled by news site G1 found that some 1.3 million more protesters attended rallies at other cities around Brazil, not counting Sao Paulo or a large demonstration in Rio de Janeiro. Added together, the figures pointed to an overall turnout of around three million.
“We are at a decisive moment for our country. We are going to start the change now,” said Rogerio Chequer, leader of Vem Pra Rua, one of the main organisers of the demonstrations, at the Sao Paulo protest.
Helio Bicudo, a prominent lawyer who once supported the government but helped initiate the push for impeachment told the Sao Paulo protesters: “Brazil can’t take being looted and robbed anymore, it can’t take more incompetence and corruption.”
In Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Summer Olympics in August, protesters singing and dancing to samba songs swarmed along the beachfront avenue in Copacabana.
Organisers said that up to a million people attended, but police would not confirm this and there was no immediate way to verify conflicting claims.
About 100,000 people marched in the capital Brasilia, a police source told AFP. Some 400 cities in all took part.
Fears of violence
Rousseff and her Workers’ Party are struggling to hold on to power in the face of a probe into a massive bribes and embezzlement scandal at state oil company Petrobras.
Prosecutors’ highest-profile target is Rousseff’s key mentor in the Workers’ Party, ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Prosecutors have filed money laundering charges and requested he be put into preventative detention. Lula vigorously denies the allegations.
Rousseff is also blamed by many for the worst recession in decades, with the economy shrinking 3.8% last year and the country losing its investment-grade credit ratings.
With divisions intensifying across the country, Rousseff appealed for demonstrators to refrain from violence – and they did.
In Sao Paulo, many protesters brought their children, as if on a family outing, while in Rio demonstrators paused between singing samba tunes to buy coconut water from street hawkers.
Still, there was no disguising the anger.
“We need to get rid of Dilma, the Workers’ Party, the whole lot,” said Rio resident Maria do Carmo, 73, who was carrying a Brazilian flag. “It’s not their time anymore.”
Many protesters held placards depicting Rousseff and Lula as prisoners, while others praised the chief investigating judge in the Petrobras scandal, Sergio Moro, as “Our national pride”.
“I want Dilma’s impeachment now,” said Gaudino Inacio, 70, at the Sao Paulo demonstration.
She’s useless because she is unable to govern the country. After, we can have new elections.
Impeachment pressure
A bid was launched in Congress late last year to impeach Rousseff over allegations that her government illegally manipulated accounts to boost public spending during her 2014 reelection campaign.
The impeachment procedure has stalled, but looks set to pick up again. And analysts said deputies will have watched turnout yesterday closely before deciding which way they should vote.
Judging by the police figures, that turnout exceeded anything seen in the past – amounting to a humiliating vote of no-confidence in Rousseff’s administration.
The biggest anti-government protest last year, in March, included an estimated 1.7 million people across Brazil, with a million in Sao Paulo alone. Some 1.2 million people attended another six months later.
In any case, Rousseff’s problems are rapidly piling up.
With Lula fighting for his political life, Rousseff is at risk of losing a vital ally, while a leaked report in a Brazilian magazine suggests that she too may be accused in the Petrobras probe.
Now a new threat is looming over Rousseff – the potential exit of the PMDB party from a shaky coalition with her Workers’ Party. Party members agreed on 12 March to decide in 30 days.
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That’s people power for you… If it was in Ireland we’d pisś and moan about her for years and then vote her back in
Well if you consider 3 million out of a 200 million population that’s a smaller proportion than the 100k out of 4.6m that showed up across Ireland for water protests in November 2014.
Beat me to it, Jonny.
1.45% of Brazil’s population vs. 2.146% of the Free State’s.
Does the Brazilian government export the equivalence of 50,000 (1.07%) of its disenfranchised every year?
Free State?
The 1940′s were ringing looking for you.
Eh, John – I’m not sure you understand basic percentages. Per capita, we had more people at some of our water protests.
You slibhíní at FF would love to have us believe that you’ve fulfilled the Republic outlined in the 1916 Proclamation.
I don’t know about you, but when I say “Ireland” I’m referring to the island of Ireland. To have said “Ireland” would have been disingenuous considering that approximately 2 million people are living in a different jurisdiction to ours here in the Free State.
200 million people in Brazil… 0.5% protesting.. Which is a lot better than the irish turnout
You must be using Renua`s calculator Mark, Ya dope.
It was one million people when I first read the article this morning…. 3 million changes that figure alright, it’s 1.5%. Which is a lot more than ireland manage to get out
100,000 out of 4,000,000 = 2.5% of population
3,000,000 out of 200,000,000 = 1.5% of population
Get you calaulator fixed again Mark
Go back to school, Mark – learn basic percentage calculations.
Ireland`s bigger Anti Austerity/Irish Water/Corruption marches is akin to 5,000,000 on the streets over here if we had the same population as Brazil Mark,
and we`ll be out again if they don`t get their chit together.
3 million was the governments estimates. Organisers say 6million.
Being on Avenida Paulista yesterday it definitely felt like the latter.
People reaching tipping point on the corruption going on everywhere.. She probably has an HSBC Swiss bank account as well…
And we know that from who exactly?
Who’s organising these demos in Brazil and other S American states against these new ‘Bolivaran’ adminstrations?
Do you somehow think the wealthy Capital owners and other right wing groups, often supported by various US governement and other sponsors, were just going to roll over and let their decades of corruption and graft whither away?
Oh look! The article is from AFP – a global media corporation… sure, they wouldn’t tell us lies would they? (lol)
Mike that’s the kind of ideological blindness that allows corruption to continue in Brazil. Dilma was chairwoman of Petrobras while billions was being embezzled. Surely there should be consequences for that
If that was here they would say there was only 15000
If it was over here the headline would be “3000 people protest”
True. Headlines don’t always reflect reality.
Especially when the news threatens the interests of the owners’ ruling class friends, as shown by the media blackout on the 100k-strong water protests.
No it would be “Large gathering at protest”
Stibby
No, not quite right.
This demonstration (organised by who??) is against a left wing adminstration… so if something like that occurred here, it would be reported the other way… 300,000 demonstrate in Dublin!!
This story is the usual propaganda from global media corporations like AFP.
Note the use of the usual descriptors.. eg leaders always described as ‘leftist’.
When did you last see a story which described, say, a UK Tory leader as ‘rightest’, or ‘neoliberal’ ? Or *any* right wing leader described like that? And a near total absence of any facts, never mind any actual balanced analysis.
These aren’t news stories, they are attempts at brainwashing.
I doubt that Journal editors were thinking in these terms, but these subtle methods of mass control have become so common in media that have become ‘normal’ and uncritically peddled around everywhere.
It’s all about creating *division* in society… divide and rule. Except, of course, for the only actual division that matters in economic terms in society – that between Capital owner minority and the massive Labour class majority.
Mass propaganda control is the number one tool used to do this…
@Mike: How is a public demonstration by millions of people not a news story, but an attempt at brainwashing?
Is it because you sympathise with the politics of the party against whom those people were protesting?
Denito, where did I say it wasn’t a news story?
It’s about *how* the *news* is presented you clown. Do you think propaganda in mainstream media cannot exist?
Also, as for the “Leftist” labelling: I doubt that the PT would disagree with such a description. Contrast that with the label “neoliberal” that you use but which nobody uses to describe themselves or their political/economic policies.
It seems a bit rich to be accusing AFP of brainwashing by using broadly accepted terminology like ‘Leftist’ while you use pejorative labels like ‘neoliberal’.
“.. broadly accepted terminology like ‘Leftist’… ”
Broadly accepted by who? By whose value definition? And why the use near always only for supposed ‘leftist’ actors, not ‘rightist’?
The use of such terms in this way is absolutely an attempt to impose a value description in the text. It’s hardly a new concept.
You don’t mind of course, because you are a smug right wing prik yourself, where the staus quo clearly works fine for you.
Calm down with the abuse there Mike. It doesn’t do your cause any favours.
Good comment Mike. Unfortunately the mass media is still under the influence of the Goebbels philosophy of ‘the bigger the lie, the more people are likely to believe it’, I think?
That’s some water protest
If RTÉ were counting it would’ve been 5,000
That’s people who don’t have the “ah it’ll be grand attitude” for ya unlike here
That’s starting to change Brendan. We seemed to all be under some sort of trauma after the financial collapse. People are slowly waking up.
I thought so too, then FF and FG were voted back in. Nothing will ever change here
They were voted back in William, but can’t form a government between them. Slowly changing.
They’ll come to some agreement and they’ll welcome TTIP with open arms, and we’ll have no say in the matter.
FF pretending to be against Irish Water! ha its laughable. That quango is everything they stand for.
Agreed William. That’s when we all must stand together. And not fall for their methods of division.
Matt Carthy MEP has stated that he believes for TTIP to pass it would require a referendum here
Media here reported 100,000 at water charge protests in October/November 2014. Out of a population of 4.5 million, that’s actually a bigger percentage than three million protestors in Brazil out of a population of 200 million.
People power is the most effective method for influencing change in our current political climate.
It often boggles my mind why people like these don’t simply just say ‘OK, goodbye everyone’ and slip away and lead a comfortable life. She clearly has herself financially sorted in whatever means. But then you realise that it is only power these people want. Money is of very little interest to them unless it comes with the power to influence. Then you look at the likes of Alan Kelly, his power is a drug statement and then his bizarre celebration at being re-elected. He was voted back in by the people of Tipperary but he has to acknowledge that on a national level he is hated. But his celebration at being re-elected to that same position that put so much hatred upon him just screams I don’t care, I want power.
Anyway, didn’t mean to bring irish politics in to Brazilian politics but just saw a similarity.
His ‘celebration’ was two fingers to the electorate. The man is despicable and dangerous.
Depends who they owe for getting them into power. She might still have to come through on her promises to high powered people. My missus is Brazilian and follows the politics there. She says alot of people don’t and are appeased at election time by local hand outs (sound familiar?). The new president is just a puppet for the former president. She was his protege and he’s still pulling the strings. According to herself the only reason this is happening is because the prosecutors managed to find an honest judge. Previous investigations always had crooked judges so the judge giving out the warrants on this corruption investigation is a folk hero in Brazil because he’s honest and has morals.
These are the same people that voted Lord Lowry of Tipperary back in.
A massive two fingers to the rest of Ireland.
I’ve no idea why you’re calling this government “leftist” in the article. This is the most right wing government in South America, by some margin. Just because they call themselves socialists, doesn’t mean they are.
Nicky, and therein lies the problem of the Left. Your policies are unworkable in government but it takes a spell in government to realise that, it seems. In the meantime, as evidenced by the likes of Chavez and others, they will far overstep the bounds of legality to keep their power, and to feather the nests of those nearest to them. Don’t believe me? Explain then why daughter of Hugo Chevez, Diario, is Venezuela’s wealthiest woman with $4.2billion in Andorran bank accounts? Power corrupts, and that affects the Left as much as it does the Right.
I gotta be kidding me! Of course the current government in Brazil is leftist and also corrupt. It doesn’t matter if they are right-wing or left all of them will be corrupt. But this government are supporting dictators around the world and also the Venezuelan’s government. For your information, in Venezuela the current president, Maduro, is taking control of the media, he is trying to nationalize companies and avoiding the population to by imported products, he says what the medias are allowed to spread and so one, As well as Venezuela, Brazil’s government wants to control the economy, avoiding the free market and as far as a know, Brazil’s government wants to follow the same steps than Venezuela, not just Brazil, but every country which support the leftism, because in South America there’s a leftism group that was created by Fidel Castro and Lula in 90′s, it is called FORO DE SAO PAULO, their goals are to control media, economy and close South America and Central America for the rest of the world.
Summing up… Brazil’s ex president and the current government supports all of this that I said and my opinion is… the government doesn’t need to control everything, the only thing they need to take care of is: security, hospitals and education.
Real protests there cause they have real problems. Protests on a Sunday as it effects the whole country. Not just an excuse for the unemployed to get out in a group on a Wednesday and abuse the powers that be who are in fact the ones that give these people €188 a week to sit on their arse. .
We think we know corruption here. Ha! We don’t know how lucky we have it.
What unemployment group are you referring to?
Just because we have it better than some it doesn’t mean people still aren’t affected. Doesn’t mean they can’t fight to improve their situation. Basically what you are saying is we shouldn’t be fighting for an equal Ireland because we have it good, but when it gets like Brazil, then maybe we can start to take action.
Set of delph like Luis Suarez
The leftist tide is going out in South America. Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, who all lurched to the left since the late 90′s are all coming to the realisation that the Left are as open to corruption as they had accused the Right of. More so, their anti-capitalist rhetoric has bankrupt their respective countries, depriving them of inward investment.
Lessons should be learnt by voters here. Voting for parties such as SF or AAA would only kill FDI and put more people into unemployment and poverty. Should that happen there will be less money to hand out in dole to the growing number of unemployed, and that would surely hurt the typical Left voter more than if a less socialist-minded party were in power.
Water bills would be the least of your worries then.
You’re absolutely correct, but doesn’t mean you will be liked on this forum.
They voted her in twice, they voted Lula in twice, and now they want them dead. 3 million people in the fifth biggest country in the world…
Would this be another leftist government success? Millions out on the street wanting to get rid of them for corruption and recession. Then we had the leftist government in Greece which managed to not only deepen the recession, but also closed the banks within 6 months of taking office. This is what happens when you let people who haven’t grown out of their utopian one-world socialist student days take power.
Has the Brazilian version of RTÉ called them thugs yet?
Brazil deserves much,much better than that shower of shuite in power right now in Brazil.
Also Germany and Europe deserve much better than Mad Merkel who along with her party party is on its way out in to-day’s elections in Germany.
Before we all get too carried away, the population of Brazil is 209,035,124 as of March 10, 2016. 3 million protesters represent 1.4% of the population. A question not being asked/answered about this is:
In a country where half the population have identified themselves as being black and/or other than white – why are the richest-whitest top 1.4% so upset with the government?
Also, say 40k of the richest most privileged people in Ireland had a national protest what would we think was going on?
The following picture of a family on a protest with their children being pushed by their domestic worker/servant gives a pretty good insight, even sums it all up.
Just in Rte reports 3000 protesters on the streets
You can’t really compare the turnout there with the turnout for water protests here.
There are tens of millions of people there living in poverty in Brazil that wouldn’t even know protests were going on. They are not quite as advanced technologically as we are – and technology these days play a huge part in organising protests.
Our country is far more advanced and can mobilise a protest far easier, so you would expect a higher turnout (per capita) regardless.
have your say