September 7th parade in Brasilia marked by Lula’s nod to Moraes and absences

The September 7 military parade held on the morning of Saturday, the 7th, at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, featured Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the front row of the authorities’ stand, marking the Chief Executive’s nod to the Court. The PT member’s invitation was a gesture of support for the minister, who was the target of Bolsonaro supporters in a demonstration calling for his impeachment.

The ceremony was also attended by five other Supreme Court justices, all invited by Lula to occupy the podium to make room for Moraes, who was greeted with shouts of support from a group of spectators. Although absent from the parade, Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino used social media to flatter Moraes and remind him of the Court’s ‘monopoly of the last word’.

Also participating in the event were Vice President and Minister Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), Defense Minister José Múcio, and Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), who, like Moraes, was attacked by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) during the event in the capital of São Paulo.

The event, however, was marked by significant absences such as those of the Speaker of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the First Lady, Janja da Silva, and the Minister of Racial Equality Anielle Franco, the target of alleged cases of harassment and sexual harassment involving the now former Minister Silvio Almeida.

Brazilian Olympic athletes participated in the parade, which featured motorized equipment from the Armed Forces. The event also paid tribute to the victims of the recent environmental tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul and to the efforts to rebuild the state, a moment that was attended by Governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB-RS).

The G20 meeting in Brazil, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro in November, was also discussed. Another section dealt with vaccination campaigns and health care.

At the end of the parade, there was the traditional presentation of the Smoke Squadron, with a demonstration of acrobatics in the sky by Air Force pilots. September 7th is the main date in the calendar of military celebrations. Lula has been pressured by the Armed Forces to provide more resources for the area.

More than five thousand agents worked on security for the parade at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, a larger force than in other years due to the increased length of the parade, according to the Institutional Security Office (GSI).

Other politicians present

Governor Ibaneis Rocha (MDB-DF) attended the parade and was questioned by the audience due to a recent operation that prevented cultural events in an open space in the city. Also present were the government leader in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), who is a former Defense Minister, and the executive secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Dario Durigan.

Other participants were the spouses of the authorities. For example: Geraldo Alckmin’s wife, Lu Alckmin; José Múcio Monteiro’s wife, Vera Brennand; and Eduardo Leite’s husband, Thalis Bolzan.