About 20,000 people took to the streets of Brasília, the Brazilian capital, during the religious holiday of October 12 to celebrate Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint, to protest against corruption and impunity.
As a previous rally on September 7 this one was convened through the social networks and responds to citizens’ organizations with no political affiliation.
The second massive march organized on a national holiday took off from the Square of the Republic in Brasília and extended to the Three Branches plaza where the Executive palace Planalto, Congress and the Superior Justice tribunal converge.
The Military Police, quoted by the media, confirmed the numbers of the turnout that, as has become traditional, carried green and yellow brooms, the national colors of Brazil and used extensively in different cities of the country protesting corruption.
The demonstrators are demanding among other issues the implementation of the Clean Record bill, which bans sentenced politicians from running for office and an end to secret voting in Congress, as well as expressing support for the Brazilian National Justice Council which conducts investigations against alleged corrupt magistrates.
Similar demonstrations took place in São Paulo and Rio do Janeiro, all convened through the social networks and with no political affiliation.
The massive and repeated demonstrations are taking place in the midst of continuous cases of corruption involving the administration of President Dilma Rousseff that has already knocked out four of her cabinet ministers and tens of high officials.
President Rousseff who faced open complaints from the ruling coalition members for letting ministers and officials fall, has promised that the “big sweep” against corruption will continue and has no limits or conditions.
The first major demonstration took place 7 September, Brazil’s National Day when 25.000 people converged in the capital and in Rio de Janeiro. 594 ‘sweeping’ brooms with the colors of Brazil were planted in the world famous beach of Copacabana. There was one broom for each member of the Federal Congress in Brasília.
