International
Protesters in Brazil demand Bolsonaro’s impeachment
AFP
Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets around the country Saturday, once again calling for the ouster of unpopular President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, among other issues.
Large crowds gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia and dozens of other towns and cities as part of the “Bolsonaro Out National Campaign,” which is backed by a dozen left-wing political parties and labor groups.
Among other issues, the right-wing president has come under stinging criticism for his handling of the pandemic, which has claimed nearly 600,000 lives here.
Hundreds of people marched through the central Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Candelaria, shouting “Bolsonaro out!” which was also emblazoned on several large banners.
“We’re going to get him out. The hope of the people here in the streets is to put pressure on legislators so that they call for impeachment,” 69-year-old retired professor Elizabeth Simoes told AFP.
More than 100 requests for the impeachment of Bolsonaro have been filed with the Chamber of Deputies, but its leader Arthur Lira, a government ally, has refused to take any of them up.
The Supreme Court has ordered several investigations into Bolsonaro and his aides, including for spreading false information.
In Sao Paulo, tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday afternoon on the central Paulista Avenue, including former cabinet minister Ciro Gomes.
“Bolsonaro is destroying the national economy,” said the center-left politician, calling for unity. “He fills Brazil with shame abroad and is responsible for the death of almost 600,000 Brazilians” from Covid-19.
Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered along the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia.
Local media counted protests in 24 of Brazil’s 27 states, and in 84 cities, including 14 state capitals.
Red flags of the Workers’ Party of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, or Lula, could be seen Saturday, along with Brazilian flags and the signs of several other left-wing and centrist parties often seen at protests against the far-right Bolsonaro.
– ‘Can’t stand this government’ –
In recent months, protests led by leftist movements have demanded Bolsonaro’s impeachment due to his mismanagement of the pandemic. But Saturday’s demonstrations were also against a hike in food and fuel prices, as well as for relief for the 14.1 million unemployed people throughout the country.
“The population is going hungry, and we can’t stand this government any longer,” said Isadora Lessa, 22, in Rio.
“What is the importance of being here? That he knows he doesn’t have unanimity, that he’s going to have a hard time getting elected again,” said Marcelo Werneck, who joined the protests in Rio in memory of the “friends and family” who died of Covid-19.
“If he doesn’t face an impeachment, he loses the election in 2022,” Werneck added.
Besieged by judicial investigations and the economic crisis, Bolsonaro’s popularity has plummeted in recent months to 22 percent, its lowest level since he took office in January 2019.
But backers of the president have also made themselves known in recent weeks, as around 125,000 of them gathered in Brasilia and Sao Paulo September 7 in a show of support for Bolsonaro.
A mid-September opinion poll by the Datafolha Institute found that Bolsonaro has 26 percent support compared with Lula’s 44 percent, just one year ahead of the presidential vote.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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