Thousands March in Rio de Janeiro to Protest Far-Right Bolsonaro Candidacy

Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026

Thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday for a student-led demonstration opposing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and the expanding influence of Brazil’s far-right movement.

The rally occurred shortly after Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, secured the plurality of votes in the first round of the presidential election, receiving 47 percent of the vote compared to 45 percent for incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

With neither candidate achieving an outright majority, a runoff election is scheduled for October 25 between the two finalists.

The electoral outcome has sparked renewed concerns that Brazil could experience another shift from left-leaning to right-leaning governance, following patterns seen in other Latin American nations.

Demonstrators carried signs reading “Never again Bolsonaro” and “No to the father, no to the son,” while others displayed banners stating “Dictatorship never again” and “Get out Bolsonaro.”

“I am here because I believe in democracy. Because I am afraid,” said Alice Carneiro, a 25-year-old maritime shipping administrator who participated in the protest. She explained her concern that a far-right administration could backlash against her transgender wife.

Jair Bolsonaro governed Brazil from 2019 to 2023, a period marked by multiple controversies tied to his far-right positions and rhetoric.

He publicly expressed admiration for Brazil’s former military dictatorship (1964-1985), which was responsible for the disappearance and murder of hundreds of perceived political dissidents. He also propagated unsubstantiated claims about electoral fraud, actions that ultimately led to a court ban preventing him from holding office for eight years.

Currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for conspiring to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat, Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters attempted to storm government facilities in Brasília following Lula’s 2023 inauguration, allegedly plans to incite a military coup.

Observers have characterized Bolsonaro’s conduct as a significant threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions. Despite this, Flavio Bolsonaro received his father’s endorsement and has advocated for an amnesty bill potentially benefiting Jair Bolsonaro, raising further alarm among protest participants.

“I find this resurgence of the far right and Bolsonarism in Brazil very, very sad,” said Emmanuel Araujo, a 19-year-old student preparing for university entrance exams. “Lula might not be my preferred candidate, but in this climate, we must choose between someone we can continue to criticize and someone who could take away our right to free expression.”

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