Judge allows anti- and pro-Bolsonaro protests in São Paulo

A São Paulo court issued an injunction nullifying Governor João Doria’s decision not to allow an anti-Bolsonaro protest to take place on September 7 — the same day the president’s supporters will stage their own demonstration on the city’s Paulista Avenue. Mr. Doria justified his decision by saying he feared confrontations between the two groups, but said this evening that he would not appeal the decision.

While pro-Bolsonaro protesters will gather on Paulista Avenue, demonstrators opposed to the president plan to meet at Vale do Anhangabaú, 3 kilometers away in the historic city center.

The judge in question said the state government does not have the power to infringe upon people’s right to protest, ordering instead that the military police ensure the demonstrators are kept safe. Besides protest sites, authorities plan to monitor subway stations and squares to avoid allowing isolated groups to clash with one other.

Last year, anti-fascist movements and supporters of Jair Bolsonaro had a violent encounter on Paulista Avenue — the anti-fascist group was pushed back by the military police’s riot squad, using flash bombs and tear gas.

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