The night is dark. Overcast. And, in Curitiba, cold. Crowds amass outside the chain-link barbed-wire fence surrounding the courthouse and jail. One group, dressed in yellow and green, sets off fireworks and cheered in euphoria. The other, dressed in red, dances to the rhythm of drums. And then, the sound of the spinning blades of a helicopter in the distance. Inside is former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.  Working-class hero. Labor leader turned iconic president. Now, convicted of corruption. Being flown to jail. His supporters say he’s innocent—-convicted on trumped-up charges by a biased judge hell-bent on power, and taking down the Workers Party. As the chopper arrives, military police inside the fence open fire on Lula’s supporters.  Rubber bullets fly. Tear gas canisters volley into the crowd. Some people fall. Others scream and run. The crowd is pushed back several blocks. They stand tougher and chant before rows of riot police. The unthinkable has happened.  The night is dark and cold.  The future is bleak. But with daybreak, something extraordinary happens. People begin to arrive. First by the dozens and then by the hundreds. They come by bus and car. They come from miles away.  They line the streets outside the jail. Tents spring up along the sidewalks in this normally sleepy residential neighborhood.  Sleepy no more. Two blocks from the prison, a vigil is emerging. Round-the-clock action and organizing. Chants, cheers, and music. The Workers Party announces it’s moving its headquarters to the location. “We are not leaving until Lula is free,” says one leader to cameras. “Free Lula!” Supporters arrive from across the country to participate in the vigil.  Some come and go. Others stay. For weeks and then months. s. From the spent tear gas canisters shot on the night of Lula’s jailing, something today is reborn:  A movement of resistance that will not go away, despite the attacks, the threats, the rain, sun, heat or freezing temperatures. The vigil will see the seasons change. Winter transformed to summer, back to winter, and into spring. And still the people stay. And every day the crowd chants and cheers.  “Good morning, presidente Lula!”  “Good afternoon.”  “Good evening.” 580 days pass.  And then, finally, Lula is free.  The Supreme Court tosses out the charges. The courts have tossed out every charge against him. His former jailer, Sergio Moro, has himself come under investigation for using biased methods to convict. The first thing Lula does when he leaves prison is speak to the crowd outside. “Thank you so much from the depths of my heart. I have no way of repaying you other than to say that I am eternally grateful to you and I will be faithful to your struggle,” he says. “Thank you for chanting ‘Free Lula’ over these 580 days.” It would take almost three more years, but on October 30, 2022, the former labor leader was reelected president of Brazil.  ### Hi folks. Thanks for listening. I’m your host Michael Fox. Lula was jailed on the evening of April 7, 2018, which is why I’m dropping this story today. I was there outside the federal prison that night, and I continued to do a ton of reporting on the Free Lula vigil over the next two years, as well as on Lula’s return to the presidency in 2022. You can check out my podcast Brazil on Fire for a deep dive into all of it. I have a whole episode on Lula’s jailing and the Free Lula vigil that helped to fight for his freedom. The podcast was co-produced by The Real News and NACLA. The link is in the show notes. You can also see exclusive pictures of the Free Lula vigil and support my work in my patreon… that’s patreon.com/mfox. This is episode 16 of Stories of Resistance, a podcast series co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Each week, I bring you stories of resistance and hope like this. Inspiration for dark times. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment or leave a review.  As always, thanks for listening. See you next time. This is episode 16 of Stories of Resistance — a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange’s Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we’ll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times. This week, in remembrance of the anniversary of Brazil’s military coup on March 31, 1964, we are taking a deep dive in Brazil. All three episodes this week look at stories of resistance in Brazil. From protest music, to general strikes against the dictatorship, to the Free Lula vigil in more recent times. Written and produced by Michael Fox. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review. You can also follow Michael’s reporting, and support at www.patreon.com/mfox. There, you can also see Michael’s exclusive pictures of the Free Lula Vigil.  You can check out more of Michael’s in-depth reporting of the Free Lula vigil in the following reports for The Real News and his 2022 podcast Brazil on Fire. Resources:Free Lula Samba at Brazil’s CarnivalBrazil’s Ex-President Lula Freed, Promises to Continue Fight for JusticeBrazil on Fire podcastEpisode 2 (Brazil on Fire podcast): Free Lula ...read more read less