Large demonstration for 'freedom' after the blocking of online service X in Brazil

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Brazil on Saturday following the blocking of online service X in the country. The protest in São Paulo, the country's economic hub, coincided with Brazil's Independence Day and served as a counter event to an official parade in the capital, Brasília, led by left-leaning President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Jair Bolsonaro, his far-right predecessor, supported the protest march in São Paulo. The demonstrators demanded 'democracy' and 'freedom' on banners and also called for the removal of Judge Alexandre de Moraes from Brazil's Supreme Court, who had ordered the nationwide blocking of popular online service X owned by right-wing US billionaire Elon Musk.

Bolsonaro called on his fellow countrymen to take to the streets in mass numbers in a video message posted on Instagram. Bolsonaro, who was briefly hospitalized for an 'acute flu' on Saturday morning, addressed the crowd later, vowing to prevent those who cross the boundaries of the constitution.

He also expressed hope that the parliamentary chamber would take action against Moraes, whom he referred to as a 'dictator' who harms Brazil more than Lula da Silva himself. Bolsonaro's rally in the country's most populous city is seen as an attempt to demonstrate his support a month before the local elections in the deeply divided country.

Two years ago, Bolsonaro, known as the 'Tropical Trump', was voted out of office and his rival Lula won with a narrow majority. Following the election, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the presidential palace, the parliament, and the Supreme Court, claiming without evidence that Bolsonaro's victory was stolen.

Bolsonaro is currently under investigation for an attempted coup in connection with these events. Bolsonaro has had a feud with Moraes, who, as a judge of the TSE electoral court, ruled that Bolsonaro cannot run for any elected office until 2030 due to his attempted discrediting of the Brazilian electoral system.

Moraes ordered the 'immediate, complete, and comprehensive' blocking of online service X a week ago, stating that X owner Musk had shown 'complete disregard for Brazilian sovereignty and especially for the judiciary'. While Moraes presented the blocking as a measure against disinformation, his right-wing opponents accuse him of censorship and abuse of power.