Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro recently led a protest in Sao Paulo against the country’s ban of the social media platform X. The demonstration coincided with Brazil’s Independence Day and saw Bolsonaro criticize Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for his role in the ban. Moraes had ordered X to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, and when the platform refused, he suspended its activities in the country. This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court, leading to outrage among Brazil’s far-right supporters, who viewed it as an infringement on free speech.
Bolsonaro, a prominent figure of Brazil’s far right, used the ban on X as an opportunity to call for protests, alleging that freedom of expression and the press were being threatened. The former president had previously spread misinformation about electoral fraud in the lead-up to the 2022 presidential elections, resulting in protests and a violent assault on government buildings in Brasilia. Moraes, who had led the Superior Electoral Court, voted to ban Bolsonaro from office until 2030 for his role in spreading false information. At the Sao Paulo protest, Bolsonaro continued to make false claims about the 2022 election and accused Moraes of bias.
The protest in Sao Paulo was attended by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters, who donned the colors of the Brazilian flag and listened to the former president’s speech on Paulista Avenue. Bolsonaro criticized Moraes for doing more harm to Brazil than his political rival, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and called for the Federal Senate to intervene. The demonstration took place at the same time as a parade led by President Lula and the country’s military in Brasilia, highlighting the political divide in Brazil between the far right and more moderate factions.
The ban on X in Brazil was the culmination of a dispute between the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk, and Justice Moraes. Musk had shut down X’s offices in Brazil to avoid complying with court orders to suspend accounts spreading misinformation, leading Moraes to issue the ban. While Moraes and the Supreme Court defended the decision as upholding the rule of law, Bolsonaro and his supporters saw it as an attack on democracy and free speech. The standoff between the Brazilian government and X reflects larger tensions around censorship, disinformation, and the power of social media platforms in shaping public discourse.
As Brazil prepares for the 2022 presidential elections, the political landscape remains highly polarized, with Bolsonaro and his supporters contesting the results and alleging electoral fraud. The ongoing clashes between Bolsonaro, Justice Moraes, and other government institutions underscore the challenges facing Brazil’s democracy. The protest in Sao Paulo and Bolsonaro’s continued insistence on spreading misinformation about the election results further fuel the divisions within Brazilian society. It remains to be seen how these tensions will play out in the upcoming elections and beyond, as the country grapples with issues of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
