Who are the Brazilian Integralists and why are they petrol-bombing comedians?

On November 9, in the city of São Paulo, a small group of green-shirted men held a curious demonstration, marching in rank and file, giving awfully Nazi-looking salutes and chanting “Anauê!”—an indigenous greeting meaning, “you are my brother.” These were integralists, supporters of the clerical fascist Brazilian Integralist Party (AIB) that existed during the 1930s. Led by writer Plínio Salgado, Brazilian Integralism was fashioned on Italian fascism, borrowing many of its symbols and credos and representing the only unabashed version of fascism the country has ever seen. 

For all intents and purposes, Brazilian Integralism died at the end of the 1930s, making its resurgence on São Paulo’s streets in 2019 all the more surprising.

The response to the march was one of derision, with this repackaged fascism on Brazil’s streets—albeit on a very small dimension—treated as a harmless joke. The mood shifted slightly on Christmas Eve, however, after members of an integralist group claimed responsibility for a petrol bomb attack on the headquarters of satirical comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos, in Rio de Janeiro.

The attackers had taken umbrage with Porta dos Fundos’ Netflix Christmas special “The First Temptation of Christ,” which stars Jesus Christ as a gay man. One of the pillars of Brazilian Integralism is the staunch defense of Christian values.

The actions of the so-called “Popular Nationalist Insurgency Command of the Brazilian Integralist Family” were condemned by...