Remember cases of harassment against STF ministers – 07/15/2023 – Power

The hostility towards STF (Federal Supreme Court) Minister Alexandre de Moraes and his family on Friday (14) by a group of Brazilians at the international airport in Rome, Italy, adds to other episodes against members of the highest court from the country.

In recent years, magistrates have been especially targeted by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who also adopted aggressive behavior against members of the STF when he was in the Presidency.

Recall other cases of harassment against Supreme Court ministers:

Barroso in Miami

Minister Luís Roberto Barroso was cursed while passing through Miami airport, in Florida, in the United States, in January of this year. He was booed as he waited at a booth.

On the flight, he heard more boos and requests to get off the flight. Barroso did not immediately react, but later claimed that the attacks were due to “a mixture of hatred, ignorance, anti-democratic spirit and lack of education”.

Lewandowski harassed in Brasilia

The then Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, now retired from the court, was cursed, in March of this year, by a female passenger when he arrived in Brasília.

She began to harass the magistrate during the landing of a flight from São Paulo and shouted that the jurist would “go to hell”. Lewandowski heard the curses from afar and did not respond. The flight crew warned the passenger and directed her to disembark.

Swearing in New York

Members of the Brazilian Supreme Court were cursed in New York, in the United States, where they were to participate in an event by the Lide group, in November 2022. Former President Michel Temer (MDB), present at the conference, was also harassed.

A group of Bolsonaro supporters began to harass ministers Alexandre de Moraes, Gilmar Mendes, Ricardo Lewandowski and Luís Roberto Barroso when they were walking around the city and leaving restaurants and hotels.

It was in this context that Barroso said the expression “lost, dummy, doesn’t bother”, in response to one of the demonstrators.

The persecution of the authorities began to be orchestrated when the address of the hotel where they were staying was shared on Bolsonarist communication channels.

Siege of Barroso in a restaurant

A group of Bolsonaristas surrounded a restaurant and the house where Barroso was staying, on a trip to Santa Catarina, on November 3 last year.

The minister had to be escorted out of the restaurant in Porto Belo, on the coast of Santa Catarina. Protesters called him “trash”, “thief” and “vagabond”, in addition to saying that “supreme is the people” and “an election is not won, it is taken”.

Moraes insulted in club

In September 2021, an advertising agent was taken to the police station for insulting Alexandre de Moraes at Clube Pinheiros, in the capital of São Paulo. The minister is a member of the club and lives nearby.

According to the incident report, prepared by the security agent escorting the member of the Supreme Court, the publicity agent called the minister a “bald thief”, “PCC lawyer” and “bald son of a bitch”. The expression “let’s close the STF” was also said, according to the document.

Also according to the police document, the two guards informed the police escort of Moraes about “intoxicated individuals” who were “uttering threats and insults” to the minister that night.

Gilmar Mendes harassed in flight

In January 2018, still in a climate of political tension with the possible arrest of Lula and with Operation Lava Jato active, minister Gilmar Mendes was harassed by passengers on a flight from Brasília to Cuiabá.

“The STF is good for nothing. It has to be closed there”, said the passengers, referring to the magistrate as “shame on the country”, “shame on the Brazilian family” and using terms like “cagão”. Gilmar did not react to the provocations.

In July of the same year, the magistrate was again harassed, this time, during a walk in Lisbon, Portugal. He was recognized by a Brazilian in the city, who claimed to have left Brazil because the country was “a dump” and attributed the blame to the minister. Gilmar also did not respond.

Last October, Gilmar was again the target of curses on a commercial flight. In addition to words in favor of Bolsonaro, passengers complained about the priority given to the minister when boarding.