Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Bolsonaro Praises Musk at Rio Rally

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro praised Elon Musk as a free-speech advocate, in his latest effort to build opposition to the country's Supreme Court as his legal troubles mount.

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... Bolsonaro and his supporters painted the court as overzealous and anti-democratic at a rally in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday as they railed against Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing investigations into Bolsonaro and the spread of disinformation.

Musk, the owner of the social-media platform X, pledged earlier this month to defy the court and reinstate user accounts that had been banned as part of its efforts to combat the spread of fake news online. The company later said it would continue to comply.

Bolsonaro and Musk contend the court is overstepping its authority in a way that's undermining free speech. The court argues that battling online disinformation is crucial to democracy.

Musk is "a man that had the courage to show with some evidence, and with more to come, where our democracy was heading, and how much freedom we have already lost," Bolsonaro told supporters. "I respectfully ask for a round of applause for Elon Musk."

Right-wing deputy and Bolsonaro supporter Gustavo Gayer spoke in English during the demonstration, calling out Musk. "I will speak in English because I am certain that Musk is watching what is happening here right now," Gayer said.

The demonstration, much like a February rally that drew hundreds of thousands of supporters to the streets of Sao Paulo, also aimed to blunt momentum behind an investigation into allegations that Bolsonaro planned a coup attempt after his 2022 election defeat, said Silas Malafaia, a prominent evangelical pastor who helped organize the event. During Sunday's rally, Malafaia continued to claim that Judge Moraes is "a threat to democracy." ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-04-22 01:26 AM

Bolsanaro is $#!+. Musk is $#!+.

#2 | Posted by hamburglar at 2024-04-24 06:35 AM

I guess the crowd at the rally was so yuge that photos couldn't capture everyone, so no pix were published...

#3 | Posted by catdog at 2024-04-24 09:11 AM

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