Bolsonaro rallies show that the far right is changing in Brazil

During Jair Bolsonaro’s administration, the far right co-opted several national symbols. Brazil’s Independence Day on September 7 was no exception. The day became a platform for hundreds of thousands of Bolsonaro supporters to flood the streets, rallying behind the president, protesting the Supreme Court, and calling for a military coup.

The former president hoped the annual gathering could be as strong as ever following the Supreme Court’s ban on X in Brazil — after the social media platform failed to comply with requirements such as having legal representation in the country. 

While his supporters once again decry what they see as a “dictatorship of the court system” taking hold in Brazil, Mr. Bolsonaro will not be the only one in the spotlight in this year’s September 7 far-right rallies. Instead, the attention will be on Pablo Marçal, a wildcard candidate for the São Paulo mayorship.

Conservatives are anticipating whether Mr. Marçal will attend the rally, and what he will say or do if indeed he attends. Even if he misses the event, the candidate may steal the spotlight from the former president.

Mr. Bolsonaro called Mr. Marçal to invite him to the event — despite formally supporting Ricardo Nunes, the incumbent mayor vying for re-election and who receives much of…