Bolsonaro booed on plane and told critics to ‘take a donkey’

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BRASILIA: They say Brazil is polarized under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, but the division was literal on Friday, when he boarded a commercial plane to greet his supporters up front – as the opponents hooted him at the top of their lungs from behind. Visiting the southeastern state of Espirito Santo to inaugurate a public works project, Bolsonaro took a moment at the airport to briefly board an departing plane and say hello. Everything was smiling at the front of the plane, which was more spacious and more expensive, as seen in a video he posted on Twitter of himself taking selfies with passengers and crew. But videos from the back of the coach posted to social media show a riot scene as passengers waved middle fingers and slogans protesting the president, including “Get out, Bolsonaro!” and “genocidal maniac!” This is a reference to the president’s widely contested management of Covid-19, which has left more than 480,000 dead in Brazil, just behind the United States. Responding to the boos, Bolsonaro took off his face mask in jest: “Those people who say ‘Get out, Bolsonaro’ should travel on donkeys.” Brazilian media said he also removed his mask at the airport, in violation of regulations in place to contain the pandemic. The president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bolsonaro has frequently criticized face masks, blockages and vaccines to fight the pandemic, instead touting the drug chloroquine despite studies showing it to be ineffective against Covid-19. The plane episode became a hot topic on Twitter in Brazil, under the tag “ForaBolsonaro” (Get out, Bolsonaro). The president’s disapproval rating has risen sharply with the death toll from Covid-19, and opponents are increasingly ready to take to the streets to protest despite the pandemic. They called for more protests on Sunday, the opening day of the Copa America, the South American football championship. Bolsonaro controversially defied warnings from epidemiologists to bring the tournament to Brazil when the original hosts Argentina and Colombia failed due to rising Covid-19 cases and social unrest .

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