Stars in Brazil voice fury as judge orders festival to ban ‘political demonstrations’
Electoral judge outlaws leftist ‘propaganda’ at Lollapalooza, months before October election
Artists and celebrities in Brazil have voiced outrage after an electoral judge ordered one of the country’s biggest music festivals to outlaw “political demonstrations” by performers after a legal challenge from President Jair Bolsonaro’s political party.
Lawyers representing Bolsonaro’s Liberal party made their petition to the supreme electoral court on Saturday after Brazil’s far-right leader was pilloried at this weekend’s Lollapalooza event by pop stars and rappers, including the British singer Marina.
“Fuck Bolsonaro. Fuck him. We are sick of this energy,” Marina told fans on Friday, at the start of the three-day gathering in São Paulo.
With political tensions increasing before Brazil’s October presidential election, Brazilian artists also voiced their fury at Bolsonaro’s far-right administration, which has overseen a historic attack on the environment and catastrophically mishandled a Covid pandemic that has killed more than 650,000 citizens.
The pop sensation Pabllo Vittar chanted “Get out Bolsonaro!” and danced into the crowd clutching a red towel featuring an image of the leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who polls suggest will beat Bolsonaro in October.
The rapper Emicida urged teenagers to register to vote, before shouting the earthy rallying cry of the opposition movement: “Ei Bolsonaro, vai tomar no cu,” which politely translates as “Bolsonaro get stuffed”.
Liberal party lawyers claimed the actions of Vittar and Marina constituted “premature campaigning” and demanded such “blatant” pro-Lula propaganda and anti-Bolsonaro slurs be stopped.
In his ruling, the electoral justice Raul Araújo agreed that such behaviour constituted “political-electoral propaganda”. Any further “ostentatious and extemporaneous” electioneering from musicians performing at Lollapalooza was forbidden, with a 50,000 reais fine (about £8,000) for any violations.
In the backlash, public figures denounced what many called an act of censorship.
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