Demonstrations held on Labor Day by groups on the left, in Brasília, and on the right, in São Paulo, were met with confusion yesterday. In the federal capital, an event organized by the Central Única de Trabalhadores (CUT) ended in an exchange of punches after a group appeared with a life-size doll of former president Jair Bolsonaro, which was understood as provocation by the event’s participants. On Avenida Paulista, Bolsonaro protesters heard shouts of “no amnesty”, and a woman was pushed by the group taking part in the act.
The demonstration in the central region of São Paulo, which brought together less than a hundred people, received authorization from Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) to take place from 11 am to 5 pm, with a half-hour break for lunch.
The approval of the Nunes administration and the Military Police for the act frustrated left-wing movements that traditionally occupy the place on Labor Day.
Incident report
The organizers carried a flag with the words “Flávio president, free Bolsonaro and the people are supreme”. In the early afternoon, some passers-by began to criticize the protesters, shouting “no amnesty”, swearing and taunting. A young woman, Érica Borges, 19 years old, argued with members of the group.
Another woman, who preferred not to identify herself, was pushed by the protesters, fell to the ground and injured her ear. She stated that she would file a police report.
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The electric trio of the organizers of the event in São Paulo included dolls of former president Jair Bolsonaro and an “Uncle Sam”, a character that symbolizes the United States, dressed in a suit that mixed the American and Brazilian flags.
In Brasília, in turn, the presence of a life-size cardboard figure of the former president was the trigger for confusion at the event organized by the CUT and left-wing groups. The event, which had as its agenda the end of the 6×1 scale, took place at Eixão Sul.
Faced with the presence of Bolsonaro supporters with a doll, protesters began exchanging insults and punches with the Bolsonaro supporters. In the confusion, the doll was thrown and broken.
In a statement, the Military Police of the Federal District said that “people with divergent ideological positions initiated provocations and verbal clashes with each other”.
The PM-DF also said it acted quickly:
“The police teams acted quickly, reestablishing public order without recording any serious incidents,” added the corporation’s statement.
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