Thousands of Bolsonaro Supporters Rally in Sao Paulo Over X Ban, Citing Free Speech

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Thousands of Bolsonaro Supporters Rally in Sao Paulo Over X Ban, Citing Free Speech

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters rallied in Sao Paulo on Brazil’s Independence Day to protest the government’s ban on Elon Musk’s X platform, viewing it as an attack on free speech.

In a show of defiance against the Brazilian government and Supreme Court, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro gathered in Sao Paulo on Saturday for an Independence Day rally. The protest was fueled by anger over the recent nationwide ban of Elon Musk’s X platform, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Demonstrators view the ban as an attack on free speech and a sign of their political persecution.

The Associated Press reported that a few thousand protestors, wearing the green and yellow colors of Brazil’s flag, flooded Av. Paulista, many carrying banners and images supporting Musk. One banner read, “Thank you for defending our freedom,” in a nod to the tech entrepreneur, whose platform, X, has been suspended nationwide.

Bolsonaro, who has been barred from running for office until 2030, used the event as a platform to rally his supporters ahead of municipal elections in October. He posted on Instagram urging Brazilians to join him in Sao Paulo instead of attending official Independence Day parades. “A country without liberty can’t celebrate anything this day,” he wrote.

Justice de Moraes ordered the ban on X on August 30, following months of conflict with Musk over free speech limits. The judge has led efforts to crack down on far-right users spreading misinformation. The dispute between de Moraes and Musk escalated after the January 8, 2023, riots, where Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s Congress and the presidential palace in an attempt to overturn Bolsonaro’s election loss.

“Elon Musk has been a warrior for freedom of speech,” said Bia Kicis, a Bolsonaro ally and lawmaker, in an interview. “The right is being oppressed, massacred, because the left doesn’t want the right to exist.”

Amaro Santos, a retiree and protest participant, expressed similar sentiments. “Our liberties are in danger. De Moraes is a tyrant, he should be impeached, and people on the streets is the only thing that will convince politicians to do it,” he said as he marched down the boulevard.

Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has urged Brazilians to join the protests. He reshared a post on X claiming that the ban has awakened people to fight for freedom. He also created an X account named after Justice de Moraes to post sealed court orders aimed at shutting down accounts the court deemed unlawful.

The decision to ban X, however, was upheld by Brazil’s Supreme Court, with a panel unanimously supporting de Moraes’ ruling. Musk’s framing of the judge as authoritarian has drawn skepticism, with many pointing out that the ruling was legally sound.

Despite this, Bolsonaro’s supporters remain steadfast. In the lead-up to the rally, right-wing politicians defied de Moraes’ ruling by using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access X, calling on Brazilians to attend the protests.

Since 2019, X has shut down 226 accounts linked to far-right activities in Brazil, including those of Bolsonaro-aligned lawmakers. When X refused to take action on certain accounts, de Moraes threatened to arrest the platform’s legal representative, prompting X to disband its local office.

This Independence Day rally serves as a test of Bolsonaro’s ability to mobilize supporters amid his legal battles. He has been indicted twice since leaving office, including for alleged money laundering involving undeclared diamonds from Saudi Arabia. De Moraes is also overseeing the investigation into the January 8 riot, probing Bolsonaro’s role in potentially inciting the violence.

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