Sawt Falasteen - Bolsonaro supporters pack Brazil streets ahead of coup verdict

The high court is set to rule this week on whether Bolsonaro conspired to cling to power after losing 2022 elections to his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The 70-year-old former army captain risks up to 43 years in prison if convicted in a case which has sparked the ire of US President Donald Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, was of course absent from the protests organized on Brazil's Independence Day from the capital Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo.

The primary gathering of Bolsonaro's faithful began in earnest in the mid-afternoon in Sao Paulo's Avenida Paulista, with supporters wearing the green and yellow of the national flag.

"We are here to defend the rule of law and values in this country. Bolsonaro's trial is a disgrace," said Aparecida Paula, a 70-year-old retiree.

Some carried signs backing Bolsonaro -- and hitting out against Lula and the Supreme Court justices. Others said, "Thank you, President Trump."

Demonstrators are calling for an amnesty for hundreds of his supporters who were convicted over the January 8, 2023 storming of the Supreme Court, presidential palace and Congress in Brasilia.

They hope Congress will vote for an amnesty that could eventually be extended to the former president -- even if he is convicted.

Bolsonaro, who says he is the victim of political persecution, was in the United States at the time but is accused of inciting the rioters, who called for the military to depose Lula a week after his return to power.

Ultra-conservative evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia, the event sponsor, and Bolsonaro's wife Michelle were in attendance.

Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, is barred from running for office until 2030 for casting doubt on Brazil's voting system without evidence.

- 'No amnesty' -

A few hours before the pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations, trade unions and left-wing social movements rallied thousands of people to protest against the amnesty in Sao Paulo.

In Brasilia, Lula led the traditional Independence Day parade, which this year had the motto "Sovereign Brazil," following punitive 50 percent US tariffs imposed by Trump, who has alleged that Bolsonaro is the victim of a "witch hunt."

"No amnesty," chanted some of those watching the parade.

"We don't take orders from anyone," the 79-year-old Lula, who plans to seek reelection in 2026, told the nation in a televised address late Saturday.

Lula has warned that any amnesty of those who participated in the January 6 mayhem would carry significant risks.

"It's a battle that must also be fought by the people," he said.

G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST