Fora Bolsonaro – Campaigning for democracy on Twitter

Abstract

The recent rise of extreme right-wing ideologies has become a threat to democracy. In Brazil's brief democratic history, citizens have traditionally organized 'Fora' (‘Out’) protests to voice disapproval of governments and politicians. Seeking to investigate how progressive initiatives used the slogan 'Fora' to mobilize against Bolsonarism in Brazil, this article presents the results of a qualitative study of the Fora Bolsonaro campaign on Twitter. Founded by left-wing political parties, unions, popular movements, and civil society organizations, the campaign responded to Jair Bolsonaro's far-right policies and rhetoric. It aimed at removing the president from office and promoting a more inclusive political system. This study is an analysis of the campaign’s Twitter account — @forabolsonarona — as an example of a media activist tool to contest, expose and call for the president's removal. Through an examination of the campaign's goals and criticisms, the study offers insights into how the ‘Fora’ tradition is manifested in the age of skillful use of social media and mobile applications by political parties, politicians, and activists. Through a grounded-theoretical, qualitative analysis of Twitter posts from the Fora Bolsonaro Twitter account, the findings reveal how the campaign centered on safeguarding democracy and combating authoritarianism by focusing on four key themes: militarization, attacks on the electoral system, fake news, and erosion of social rights.