Opponents, supporters of Brazil’s Rousseff take to the streets

Latin America

Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in cities across the country Sunday, expressing their support or condemnation for the impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff.

CCTV’s Paulo Cabral reports.

In Sao Paulo, the anti-Rousseff demonstrators gathered at the iconic Paulista Avenue, the stage for some of the biggest pro and anti-government rallies throughout the impeachment process. This one was not really expected to be as big as some of the past demonstrations.

The impeachment of Dilma Rousseff – who’s now provisionally suspended – is considered pretty much a done deal.

“A big chunk of what we were aiming at, the first stage, was already accomplished. It’s very natural, almost expected and wished, that people now have less indignation than before, therefore we have less people,” Rogerio Chequer, leader of the Vem Pra Rua Movement, said.

Actually, some of the main grassroots moments that were calling for this protest abandoned the last days saying that did not expect a major turnout and they thought it would be better to find a day closer to the impeachment vote, expected to happen in early September.

The protests for president Dilma Rousseff, in support of the Workers Party, were not major either. People still protesting against what they consider a coup d’etat on a legitimate government. But there’s is very much a sense among many in Brazil’s left-wing,

That support Dilma Rousseff and the Worker’s party that the impeachment battle has already been lost. There’s little hope that any significant change could happen over the next few weeks to return Dilma Rousseff to power.