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Thousands march in Rio against Flavio Bolsonaro after first-round lead

Protesters opposed a possible Flavio Bolsonaro presidency ahead of an October 25 runoff.

The short version

  • Thousands marched in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday against the possibility of Flavio Bolsonaro becoming president.[Deutsche Welle]
  • Flavio Bolsonaro finished first in Sunday's first round, about two million votes ahead of incumbent Lula da Silva.[Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
  • Neither candidate reached 50%, so the two will face each other in a runoff on October 25.[Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
  • Protesters voiced fears of a Bolsonaro presidency, with one student saying it would make Brazil a United States colony.[Deutsche Welle]

Key facts

  • Thousands of people joined a student march in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to protest the possibility of Flavio Bolsonaro becoming president.[Deutsche Welle]
  • Flavio Bolsonaro received about two million more first-round votes than incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.[Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
  • Neither candidate received 50% of the vote, so a runoff is scheduled for October 25.[Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
  • Candidates who placed third, fourth, and fifth in the first round gathered more than 8 million votes combined.[ABC News]
  • Jair Bolsonaro, the father of Flavio Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup.[France 24 · ABC News]
  • A 20-year-old literature student said a Bolsonaro win would make Brazil a colony of the United States; this is his stated opinion.[Deutsche Welle]

What remains uncertain

  • The runoff outcome is unknown. One outlet calls the race unpredictable, while another describes Flavio Bolsonaro as considered the favorite.[Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
  • Witnesses described the march as more crowded and animated than Lula's rally on Friday, but no attendance figures were reported.[Deutsche Welle]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.