Demonstrations in Brazil "In Defense of Democracy"

Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrations in several Brazilian cities in the face of President Jair Bolsonaro’s repeated attacks on the voting system in the weeks leading up to the election date.

The demonstrations are organized on the basis of fears that the president, who is lagging behind in the opinion polls, may show disrespect for the October election results in light of his repeated attempts to discredit the Brazilian electoral system.

“Two hundred years after Brazil gained independence, we should be thinking about our future… but instead, we will focus on preventing a relapse,” University of São Paulo dean Carlos Gilberto Junior told a gathering in front of hundreds of academics, trade union leaders, businessmen and representatives civil society.

Thousands of people raised banners outside the university campus denouncing Bolsonaro and calling for “respect for the vote and respect for the people”.

Some disguised themselves as electronic voting machines, which Bolsonaro suggested would make cheating easier.

During a meeting at the university, a video of Brazilian artists reading a petition “in defense of the democratic rule of law” was shown.

The document, the contents of which were read at King’s College London, garnered over 900,000 signatures.

“We are living in a very dangerous moment for normal democratic conditions that threatens institutions and implies non-compliance with election results,” the text says.

The petition was signed by several of Bolsonaro’s electoral rivals, including former left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who tweeted: “Our country was so sovereign and respected. We have to bring her back.”

As for Bolsonaro, he tweeted: “Today, a very important step was taken for Brazil, which is of great importance to the Brazilian people: (National Oil Company) Petrobras has lowered the price of diesel fuel again.”

Source: AFP