Brazil's Independence Day sees rival rallies ahead of election
On Brazil's Independence Day, Flávio Bolsonaro rallied supporters in São Paulo while activists in Rio held the 'Cry of the Excluded' march.
Brazil's Independence Day on 7 September was marked by two contrasting political gatherings, reflecting the deep divisions in the country less than a month before the general election.
In São Paulo, supporters of opposition presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro gathered for a rally. The crowd waved Brazilian flags and chanted "Brazil will win." Some demonstrators carried an effigy of former President Jair Bolsonaro, while others held a figure of U.S. President Donald Trump clutching a doll depicting current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a prisoner.
Flávio Bolsonaro addressed the crowd, vowing to confront his political opponents. "I want the persecutors to listen very carefully, there will be Bolsonaro in the presidency, yes," he said. He also expressed hope that his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, would one day place the presidential sash on him. "I ask God for the opportunity to go up the ramp to the Planalto Palace next year, together with President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, so that he can put the sash on my chest, and that I can hand Brazil over to God's hands."
Jair Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest after being sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. He is barred from running for office.
Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, activists took part in the traditional "Grito dos Excluídos" (Cry of the Excluded) march, which has been held annually for 32 years to denounce social and economic inequality. Demonstrators carried a large inflatable globe and chanted slogans against Brazil's military dictatorship.
Bernardo Tura, a 58-year-old deacon, explained the march's purpose: "This year, we are shouting for land, for housing, for women to be alive, and for sovereignty."