Thousands of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters took to the streets in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to protest the election victory of another presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Armed with Brazil flags, banners and placards, some of which read ‘We will never be red’, ‘Willing to die for Brazil’, ‘I authorize federal intervention’ and ‘Brazil did not die’ Bolsonaro supporters can be seen chanting, singing and claim the election was manipulated in Lula’s favour.
Earlier, Bolsonaro’s supporters have been protesting the election result blocking highways in over a hundred locations as of Wednesday morning, with police being deployed to disperse the demonstrations.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was declared the winner of the presidential run-off on Sunday, while Bolsonaro has not conceded defeat. In his address on Tuesday, he promised to abide by the constitution, but also said ‘current popular movements are the fruit of indignation and a sense of injustice about the way the electoral process took place.’
In the tight election runoff, he received 50.9 percent of the vote, with right-wing populist Bolsonaro receiving 49.1 percent.
Bolsonaro is yet to comment, although various foreign leaders and even some allies of the incumbent have already acknowledged Lula’s victory.
Lula was jailed for corruption in 2018 but had his conviction annulled last year, allowing him to run again.
