Brazilians march in defence of democracy over Bolsonaro election fears

Thousands of Brazilians person taken to the streets amid interest President Jair Bolsonaro volition effort to enactment successful powerfulness adjacent if helium loses October's election.

Protesters marched successful respective cities connected Thursday successful defence of ideology implicit fears the far-right person would not respect the result of the vote.

Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly sought to discredit Brazil's voting system.

He has claimed that physics voting machines alteration cheating, due to the fact that of the lack of a insubstantial trail.

A twelvemonth ago, Mr Bolsonaro tried to alteration the strategy to present printed ballot papers, but the connection was defeated successful Congress.

Critics of the president person voiced fears that helium is preparing to travel the illustration of erstwhile US President Donald Trump and allege wide fraud if helium loses the election.

The demonstrations came connected the aforesaid time that a citizens' manifesto was work retired and signed by a cardinal Brazilians.

The manifesto, inspired by a declaration from 1977 denouncing Brazil's dictatorship astatine the time, warned that the country's ideology was facing large danger.

Crowds protested successful Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Recife, portion thousands gathered extracurricular the University of São Paulo, wherever a petition "in defence of the antiauthoritarian authorities of law" was work out.

People held up banners denouncing Mr Bolsonaro and proclaiming: "Respect the vote, respect the people", portion immoderate were dressed arsenic physics voting machines, successful a notation to the president's cheating claims.

The president, successful bureau since 2019 and flagging successful sentiment polls, denounced the petition, tweeting that the Constitution was the lone missive that mattered successful guaranteeing democracy.

Several of his predetermination rivals person signed the petition, including leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who tweeted: "Our state utilized to beryllium sovereign and respected. We request to get it back."