MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Thousands of followers rallied to support ex president Lula da Silva outside his prison
Lula's supporters had gathered early Sunday at a bus station two kilometers away before marching to the headquarters of the Federal Police, which houses his prison Several thousand supporters of former Brazilian president Lula Inacio da Silva rallied on Sunday outside the prison where he has now been held for a year, as they demanded his release and chanted slogans against current leader Jair Bolsonaro.
In a letter read by Workers' Party president Gleisi Hoffmann, Lula, who is 73, insisted that his conviction on corruption charges was “unjust,” designed expressly to prevent him from returning to the presidency.
Lula's supporters had gathered early Sunday at a bus station two kilometers away before marching to the headquarters of the Federal Police, which also houses Lula's prison.
They mixed chants of “Free Lula!” with shouts denouncing the extreme right-wing Bolsonaro.
Just a few meters from Lula's cell, dozens of his most fervent supporters have carried on a vigil since the day of his arrest. They sing to him every morning at nine o'clock, and wish him a “Good Night” every evening at 7pm.
Organizers said the event Sunday drew 10,000 people, though the military police put the total at 3,000 to 5,000.
Similar rallies in other cities, including Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte, as well as in some other countries, were called to protest the continuing imprisonment of Lula, the popular patriarch of the Brazilian left, who is serving a 12-year sentence -- and potentially faces 12 more years if additional charges are confirmed.
The former president (2003-2010) was convicted of corruption and money laundering for his role in the Petrobras scandal involving massive pilfering from the state oil company.
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Read all commentsThis is what happens with true leaders: In adversity, they still inspire their people.
Apr 09th, 2019 - 02:30 am 0Lula will outgrow his legend while his enemies crumble by their own weight.
And Brazil will see the light again.
A stage has come where someone [ANYONE] - corrupt or not - to lead the country in SOME direction! NOBODY believed when I said that “ALL the king's men & assholes can NEVER put Humpty Dumpty together”:
Apr 09th, 2019 - 11:01 am 0http://www.chargeonline.com.br/php/DODIA//brum.jpg
EM
Apr 09th, 2019 - 06:30 pm 0Can't deny that Lula was a leader....despite the fact that his followers are mainly ignorant and stupid, because they still support him after he stole from them....and from all those who did not support him...
But I must admire your blind, misguided optimism.
So the 1 year commemoration of his imprisonment drew about 3,000 followers in Curitiba, mainly unnocupied rural workers from the MST, waving their red flags and eating 'mortadella' sandwiches - all bussed to Curitiba by the PT and the left-wing unions - while on the Av. Paulista 10s of 1000s went to support Bolsonaro and Guedes...as can be seen below :-
https://youtu.be/6ML5peIvKw8
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