Crowds manifest in support of Lula da Silva in Brazil

Uma multitude of brazilians went out to the streets today in various cities of Brazil, and abroad, in demonstrations mobilized by artists and civil society in defense of democracy and in support of the re-election of Lula da Silva.

The demonstrations were organized, in most cases, independently of Lula da Silva's campaign, by artists and civil society movements who called for mobilization in defense of democracy and the vote in the candidate of the Workers' Party (PT), who was not present in any street action to prepare for today's debate against his opponent and favorite to victory in the second round of presidential next Sunday, Flávio Bolsonaro.

In Brazil, there were mobilizations in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, Curitiba and Porto Alegre, with walks, concentrations and presentations by artists.

Abroad, Brazilians have today expressed themselves in cities such as Lisbon and London in support of Lula da Silva's re-election.

In Brasilia, the protesters concentrated with the National Museum of the Republic, in the Esplanade of Ministries, then on a walk to the emblematic Square of the Three Powers.

The action in the capital was performed by the singer of the Natiruts (an iconic band of the Brazilian reggae), Alexandre Carlo.

In a message sent to Lusa, Bruna Justa, 36-year-old administrator, was taxing to explain why she was present today in Brasilia.

“ Because Brazil is a sovereign country, which should not be governed by the son of someone who is arrested for attempted coup d'état and is linked to the militias ", said, referring to the condemnation of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and to the accusations that the Brazilian left makes Flavio Bolsonaro for links to the Rio militias.

“Sense of turning” and a “feeling of strong union for democracy,” Lusa Ricardo Veras, another participant, told.

A crowd dressed in red occupied the famous Copacabana edge in Rio de Janeiro, in an act called by Caetano Veloso and producer Paula Lavigne, who also brought together artists such as Renata Sorrah, Leandra Leal and Cissa Guimarães and had actor Paulo Vieira as host.

The organizers of the action in Copacabana advised artists not to make requests for votes or use numbers, slogans or campaign songs, trying to prevent the demonstration from being configured as a ‘showmício’, prohibited by Brazilian electoral legislation.

In Salvador, a crowd dressed in red traveled the famous Barra-Ondina Carnival circuit, with artists such as Daniela Mercury, Gilberto Gil and BaianaSystem to encourage mobilization aboard an electric trio.

In São Paulo, where Flávio Bolsonaro gathered thousands today on Avenida Paulista, the mobilization in favor of Lula da Silva focused on the peripheries, with rappers Emicida, Rashid and Karol Conká among the artists announced for the act "The Rap Convoca", in the north of the city.

Since Lula da Silva was behind Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round, on October 4, students and civil society movements have promoted mobilizations in the streets of various Brazilian cities, seeking to win votes and fight abstention before the second round, scheduled for next Sunday.

In the first round, Flávio Bolsonaro obtained 47.03% of the valid votes, against 45.16% of Lula da Silva, an advantage of 2.224,965 votes, and since the introduction of the system of two laps in Brazilian presidential, in 1989, no candidate who finished the first vote in second place managed to win the election.