Protest Movements as Media Vehicles of the Brazilian New Right: A Study of Populist Discourses

This book investigates right-wing populism in Brazil. It is a unique study of the major protest movements of the New Right that dominated the streets of São Paulo from 2014 to 2018 and acted as a prelude to Jair Bolsonaro’s election. Examining the populist rhetoric that circulated among the movements’ online followers, McLean reveals the formation of different right-wing publics and gives insight into the topics that have the greatest impact on public political debate. Through interviewing multiple activists and observing them at political events, McLean also exposes motivations for engaging in political action and demonstrates how the movements act as media vehicles of the New Right. Such an intimate study on the Brazilian New Right has never before been carried out in such in-depth detail.