Thousands of students in Brazil took to the streets in a large protest against Jair Bolsonaro, the son of the imprisoned former president. This protest occurred as Bolsonaro garnered about two million more votes than Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the current leftist president, in the first round of the presidential elections. However, neither candidate was able to achieve 50 percent of the votes, and therefore, they must compete against each other in the second round of elections scheduled for October 25.
Concerns About Brazil's Political Future
Young protesters expressed their concerns about Bolsonaro's victory. João Victor Vieira, a 20-year-old literature student, said: "If Bolsonaro wins, Brazil will become a colony of the United States." These concerns have increased among leftist groups in Brazil, especially given Bolsonaro's closeness to Donald Trump, the former president of the United States.
Messages from the Protesters
Protesters, holding placards with messages such as "Brazil is not anyone's backyard" and "Never again Bolsonaro," made their voices heard to the authorities. Talita Amaral, a 19-year-old environmental science student, stated: "We are fighting for Brazil, not for Lula." Wearing a yellow and green Brazil football shirt, typically worn by Bolsonaro's nationalist supporters, she expressed that she chose this outfit as a symbol to reclaim it from the new government.
Alice Carneiro, a 25-year-old maritime transport manager, also referenced her concerns about the possibility of Bolsonaro winning again, saying: "I am here because I believe in democracy, because I am afraid." She noted that this situation could lead to discrimination against various minorities in Brazil.
Eyewitnesses reported that this protest was particularly more crowded and lively than President Lula's gatherings on the same street on Friday. These gatherings reflect public dissatisfaction with the current conditions and a desire for change in the country's political future.
Challenges Ahead for Lula
As Lula and the left party approach the second round of elections, they face many challenges. In the first round, right-wing candidates garnered over eight million votes, indicating intense competition between political fronts in Brazil. Lula is trying to shift the focus of his campaign to social media, aiming to compete in a space where right-wingers have particularly dominated.
Given that Lula has had less presence in this space, he held a meeting on Wednesday with leftist influencers who recently succeeded in securing legislative seats to advise them.
