RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 20 — Some of the biggest names in Brazilian music will perform a protest concert Sunday against a bill to shield lawmakers from prosecution, a measure that has sparked outrage in the country.
Iconic Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso shared an announcement on Instagram yesterday he would perform alongside Gilberto Gil and Chico Buarque at a protest on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach against what has been dubbed the “Banditry Bill”.
The beloved octogenarians will headline demonstrations set to take place in over a dozen cities against the conservative-majority congress that critics say has put its own interests above social and economic issues.
On Tuesday, the lower house approved the so-called “Shielding Bill”, under which lawmakers voting in a secret ballot must give the go-ahead for one of their own to be charged or arrested.
“Organized crime could infiltrate parliaments, which is something that concerns me greatly,” Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said in an interview with the O Globo newspaper.
Further stoking anger, lawmakers on Wednesday fast-tracked a bill that could grant amnesty to former president Jair Bolsonaro, convicted last week of leading an attempted coup.
Veloso said on Instagram that parliament’s actions “cannot go unanswered by the Brazilian people.”
“We have to take to the streets.”
The musicians are all known for their politically engaged lyrics.
Brazilian funk star Anitta also weighed in, asking supporters to imagine being raped or murdered and then “your killer can’t be prosecuted without the authorisation of his colleagues.”
Shameless parliament
Several commentators slammed the legislature’s priorities.
“There are a number of urgent matters that need to be discussed. They (lawmakers) are not interested,” said comedian Giovana Fagundes.
House Speaker Hugo Motta, of the centre-right Republicanos party, defended the “Shielding Bill” as protection against judicial overreach.
When a similar rule was in place between 1988 and 2001, only one lawmaker was ever prosecuted, while 250 requests from the Supreme Court were rejected, according to the G1 news website.
“No more impunity. Shameless parliament,” read a message flooding social media calling for the protests.
Both bills face an uphill battle in the Senate.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has vowed to veto the amnesty bill.
He also said the “Shielding Bill” was not the kind of “serious matter” that lawmakers should be dealing with. — AFP
