Brazilian women lead national protests against farright candidate
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brazil’s major cities on Saturday in womenled protests against farright presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, who flew home after weeks in hospital recovering from a nearfatal stab wound.
Angered by Bolsonaro’s history of making offensive comments, which includes belittling rape and calling the gender pay gap justified, female protesters used the hash tag #EleNao, or #NotHim, to drum up support for a series of international protests against the former army captain.
Flagwaving protesters flocked to downtown Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo yesterday (NZ time), pouring out of subway trains and into the streets while chanting in unison against a divisive candidate who has led polls for months ahead of the October 7 election, the most polarising in a generation.
‘‘I could never be friends with someone who supports a person (like Bolsonaro), who is racist, homophobic and a misogynist,’’ said Tassia Casseli, who was at the Sao Paulo march.
Bolsonaro nearly died from a stab wound earlier this month and has been confined to Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital since. He was discharged at the weekend, and flew to Rio, where he has served as a federal congressman for nearly three decades.
. The former army officer has voiced admiration for Brazil’s 19641985 military dictatorship.