Tens of thousands of people say "not him" to the first Brazilian candidate

SAO PAULO – Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Saturday to protest the leader of the presidency, a far-right member whose campaign revealed and deepened divisions in the biggest country of the country. Latin America.

The protests took place the same day that Jair Bolsonaro was released from a hospital in Sao Paulo where he was treated after being stabbed during a demonstration on 6 September. Saturday night, after returning to Rio, he tweeted to feel "only to be close to his family.

In Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, people flooded avenues and squares to sing, dance and scream "Not him!" – the rallying cry of groups trying to prevent Bolsonaro from taking office October

"We tell those who are undecided: not him," said Selia Figueiredo, a 43-year-old banker in Sao Paulo, who worried about her rights as a gay woman if Bolsonaro were to win. They can vote "for anyone else, but not for him".

In the heart of Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, Guilherme Boulos, left-wing presidential candidate, and Sonia Guajajara, his running mate, led the march. women and blacks.

In downtown Rio de Janeiro, a crowd of mostly women shouted, "Sexists and fascists will not move!"

Other smaller rallies were held in Brazilian cities, particularly to support the candidate.

Bolsonaro's candidacy drew international attention as an example of the trend in many countries to populism and the extremes of politics, and small demonstrations against him took place in London, Lisbon, Berlin and Paris.

Bolsonaro is currently conducting polls with about 28% of support among polled voters, but it also has the highest rejection rate among all candidates. This could become particularly important if no one wins the majority of votes on October 7 and the election is decided in the second round. The polls then show that he is losing in most scenarios. Bolsonaro said that he would accept nothing less than victory and suggested that his opponents commit fraud to defeat him.

His support is particularly slim among the women, who led the protests against him on Saturday. According to a recent Ibope survey, 36% of men surveyed said they would vote for Bolsonaro, while only 18% of women supported it – an unusually large gap.

The difference in support between men and women for the other candidates varies only by a few percentage points.

The survey was conducted between September 22nd and 24th and has a 2 percentage point margin of error.

Brazil is experiencing a moment of intense and unusual polarization after a few tumultuous years. He suffered a deep and prolonged recession, an investigation into corruption that decimated his political class, and the dismissal and dismissal of his first female president in highly contentious proceedings.

The Bolsonaro campaign has both benefited from political division and contributed to its division by focusing on issues of cultural warfare and "traditional" family values.

He did not temper his rhetoric during the campaign and continued to praise the Brazilian military dictatorship that has lasted for two decades. He also promised to give the police permission to shoot first and ask questions later.

Saturday's protests were led by women's groups and others who said they rejected his divisive rhetoric and feared it would make life harder for minorities of all stripes.

"To be here, is to say no to sexism and hate," said Lidia Ferreira, a 46-year-old literature teacher. "Bolsonaro as president would be a tragedy for the country.

A handful of small rallies also took place on Saturday to support Bolsonaro. One of his sons tweeted a video of dozens of women in pink shirts singing his name in front of the opera of the Amazonian city of Manaus. Another son tweeted a video of a hundred women identified as evangelical leaders, saying, "Yes, Bolsonaro, that is me!

Bolsonaro's "saying things as they are" attitude has gained strength among voters who are angry with the political establishment. Despite his decades in Congress, they see him as an outsider who can rid Brazil of corruption and high crime rates.

He particularly drew the support of those who are disgusted by the Left Labor Party, which has ruled the country for much of the last decade and want to prevent its return to power at any cost.

"People think that Bolsonaro is an economic alternative to the latest governments. That's not the case, "said Sandro Gandur, a 31-year-old lawyer at the Sao Paulo protest. "This could be the main area for (changing attitudes) people who are inclined towards him but who are uncertain."

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De Sousa reported from Rio de Janeiro. The Associated Press video journalist, Yesica Fisch, contributed from Rio de Janeiro.

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