Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Bolsonaro Supporters Rally Against Lula Ahead Of Election
Thousands of people gathered in São Paulo to support Flavio Bolsonaro.
They criticized President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The rally happened before Brazil’s presidential election.
Supporters said Lula and Moraes work together politically.
The dispute is connected to legal action against Flavio’s father, Jair Bolsonaro.
Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest and cannot run for office, according to the report.
A poll showed Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro tied at 41 percent in a possible second-round vote.
Lula marked Independence Day at a military parade and spoke about protecting Brazil’s sovereignty and democracy.
An estimated 28,500 people attended a pro-Bolsonaro rally on São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue.
Flavio Bolsonaro used the event to criticize President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Organizers portrayed the demonstration as opposition to Lula’s government and Moraes before the October 4 first-round vote.
A Quaest poll showed Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro tied at 41% in a possible October 25 runoff.
The rally’s attendance was below previous demonstrations led by Jair Bolsonaro, including one estimated at 185,000 people.
- Who
- Flavio Bolsonaro, his supporters, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes were central to the event and dispute.
- What
- A large conservative rally criticized Lula’s government and Moraes while supporting Flavio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign.
- When
- The rally took place on September 7, before the October 4 first-round vote; a possible runoff was scheduled for October 25.
- Where
- The main demonstration took place on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Why
- Organizers said they were protesting Lula’s government and Moraes and supporting Bolsonaro amid a Supreme Court crisis and Jair Bolsonaro’s legal troubles.
Lula Government and Sovereignty
Bolsonaro Opposition and Court Criticism
Role of Alexandre de Moraes
Lula Government and Sovereignty
Supporters of Lula’s side are presented as defending Brazil’s democracy and legal institutions; Lula’s opponents say Moraes pursued Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged 2023 coup plot.
Bolsonaro Opposition and Court Criticism
Flavio Bolsonaro and rally speakers accused Moraes of politically targeting Jair Bolsonaro and linked the justice to Lula.
Meaning of the political dispute
Lula Government and Sovereignty
Lula said Brazil must protect its sovereignty and not bow to foreign powers seeking to turn the country into a colony.
Bolsonaro Opposition and Court Criticism
Rally organizers described the demonstration as resistance to Lula’s government and what they called a corrupted political system.
Supreme Court conflict
Lula Government and Sovereignty
Moraes sought an investigation into Justice Andre Mendonca after Mendonca raised questions about alleged contacts involving Moraes and a banker accused of leading a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme.
Bolsonaro Opposition and Court Criticism
The disclosure by Mendonca was used by Bolsonaro’s supporters to demand an investigation into Moraes.
- Estimated attendance
- About 28,500 people, according to researchers from the University of São Paulo’s Monitor do Debate Politico.
- Main speaker
- Presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro.
- Election schedule
- First-round voting was set for October 4, with a possible runoff on October 25.
- Poll result
- A Quaest poll showed Lula and Bolsonaro tied at 41% in a potential runoff.
- Previous rally comparison
- A similar event the previous year drew about 42,000 people; a Jair Bolsonaro rally in early 2024 drew about 185,000.
- Lula’s Independence Day message
- Lula said defending Brazil’s independence meant defending its sovereignty and democracy.