Pro-Rousseff protesters gather throughout Brazil

Brasilia, June 11: Hundreds of thousands of supporters of suspended President Dilma Rousseff gathered in almost all the states as protests took place throughout Brazil on Friday evening. The protesters shared the view that the impeachment process against Rousseff is a coup and wanted to express their displeasure at interim President Michel Temer, who replaced Rousseff, Xinhua reported. Former President Luiz Icio Lula da Silva, Rousseff’s predecessor and political mentor, participated in the protest held in Sao Paulo. According to organisers, 100,000 people attended the protest. “The most important thing for the social movements gathered here is stopping the impeachment, stopping the coup,” said Vagner Freitas, head of Brazil’s largest trade union CUT.

Attendance reached 20,000 people in Rio, organisers said, where prominent politicians participated and citizens called for Rousseff’s return to the office. Other large protests occurred in major cities like Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Recife. Rousseff has been maging to get a lot of support from the streets. Protests in which people support her and oppose both Temer and the impeachment process have been sweeping the country since the month Temer took office.

In addition, Rousseff’s newest move — attending an interview aired late Thursday in local governmental station TV Brasil — may help her gather even more support. Rousseff said the impeachment process against her represents a breakage of the democratic pact. If she mages to get back to office, she will consult the population about the path tiol politics should take, Rousseff added. That declaration, according to alysts, may get more setors to her side in the fil voting of the impeachment process, which is expected to take place in August. In order to impeach Rousseff, it is necessary to have two thirds of the setors’ votes — 54 out of 81 votes. Abstention or absence counts as votes against the impeachment. The impeachment process maged to open with 55 votes of support in the Sete. However, since Temer took office, his actions have displeased some setors who have voted for the impeachment process, which may work in Rousseff’s favour. (IANS)