Coronavirus: Brazil’s evangelical Christians protest against virus restrictions on church services
- Around 500 evangelical Christian and conservative Catholic protesters marched to the seat of Congress in Brasilia, where they held an outdoor prayer service
- Marchers demanded ‘religious freedom,’ warned against ‘communist’ influence and voiced support for President Jair Bolsonaro, a conservative Catholic who has opposed bans on religious services
Several hundred demonstrators marched in Brazil on Sunday to protest a ruling by the Supreme Court allowing authorities to bar in-person religious services under Covid-19 restrictions.
The “Christian Family Freedom March” came after the High Court ruled on Thursday in a 9-2 decision that regional officials have the right to suspend worship services, at a moment when the coronavirus is killing thousands of people a day in Brazil.
Carrying signs and banners with messages such as “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord” and “Down with the Supreme Court,” around 500 evangelical Christian and conservative Catholic protesters marched to the seat of Congress in Brasilia, where they held an outdoor prayer service.
Marches were also held in several other cities, including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Marchers demanded “religious freedom,” warned against “communist” influence and voiced support for President Jair Bolsonaro, a conservative Catholic who has strongly opposed local bans on religious services.
Brazil’s growing conservative Christian movement is a key bloc of support for the far-right leader, who is up for re-election in October next year.
