Protesters in Brazil took to the streets on Saturday for Brazil’s Independence Day to demand the removal of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The demonstrations erupted in response to de Moraes' crackdown on free speech, including his recent ban on the social media platform X in the country and fines for those who work around the ban to access the platform. 

Thousands of demonstrators dressed in green and yellow and waving Brazilian flags filled the streets to express their discontent with the country’s current leadership. Many held signs protesting the ban on X, with one banner featuring an image of Elon Musk that read, “Thank you for defending our freedom,” according to the Associated Press.

These protests come ahead of Brazil's municipal elections in October and have drawn significant support from backers of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is barred from running for office until 2030. Bolsonaro himself weighed in on the unrest, posting on Instagram earlier this week, "A country without liberty can’t celebrate anything this day."

The ban on X has been a flashpoint, with Justice de Moraes imposing hefty fines on users who continue to post on the platform. This move has been perceived by many protesters as an example of the judiciary and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government working together to silence right-wing opposition.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, has encouraged Brazilians to protest these attacks on free speech. He also launched an X account called “Alexandre Files,” dedicated to exposing the "unlawful directives issued to X by Alexandre de Moraes." The account recently posted a thread focusing on charges brought by de Moraes against Brazilian Senator Marcos do Val after he criticized the justice and the Brazilian police chief on social media. In response, de Moraes ordered the blocking of do Val's social media accounts.