Dozens of protesters briefly occupied the São Paulo Stock Exchange headquarters on Thursday to protest the widening economic disparity in Brazil, which is experiencing inflation under the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The demonstrators stood under electronic boards displaying stock prices at the country’s largest stock exchange, waving red banners and a Brazilian flag with the word "hungry" written on it.
The "Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto," which organized the protest, tweeted, "We are occupying the São Paulo Stock Exchange, the largest symbol of speculation and social inequality." They added, "While companies are making profits, people are hungry and work is becoming increasingly unstable." One of the signs carried by the protesters read, "Everything is expensive, it’s Bolsonaro's fault."
After a brief march, the group left the building and continued their protest outside. The president addressed the protest during a live video broadcast on Twitter that evening, questioning, "What did the left do so that people didn't lose (money for) rent in 2020?" He stated that rising prices are due to "food price inflation worldwide, not just in Brazil." Economic inequality in Brazil has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 590,000 lives in the country of 213 million people.
