Lula Rallies Massive Crowd in Rio to Defy History Before Sunday Vote

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s supporters transformed Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach into a sea of red on Saturday, aiming to inject critical momentum into the final hours before a decisive presidential runoff. The leftwing president faces far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro in a contest that has drawn close to 159 million eligible voters to the polls on Sunday. With the polls showing a tight race following Bolsonaro’s 47 percent first-round victory over Lula’s 45 percent on October 4, the outcome remains fiercely contested.

The crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands, processed along the 2.5-mile stretch of sand under bright sunlight in a carnival-like display. Activists unfurled a massive yellow and green banner declaring, "WE ARE GOING TO TURN THIS AROUND!" Among the marchers was Josias Silva, a 61-year-old truck driver carrying a homemade sign that read, "Lula re-elected. Tomorrow will be a new day." Silva noted that recent student-led protests indicated the public has awakened, predicting a victory with over 60 percent of the vote, though polling data suggests a much narrower margin.

Analysts currently view Bolsonaro as the slight favorite, leveraging his father Jair Bolsonaro’s legacy and a tough stance on violent crime. However, Lula has regained ground recently amid scandals involving his opponent. Last week, the magazine Piauí reported that Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party with sex workers and vaccine lobbyists during the peak of the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. This revelation has added fuel to the debate, as Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

For many attendees, the stakes extend beyond standard political shifts. Some democrats fear that a Bolsonaro victory could lead to his father’s release or return to power, with reports suggesting jailed or exiled plotters might receive senior military and police roles. Marta Moraes, a 59-year-old restaurateur, stated her opposition targets "Bolsonarismo" specifically, noting she lost four relatives due to neglect during the pandemic. The crowd included many members of "Lula's Army," a WhatsApp group with 10 million members created after the first round. Isabella Gaze, a 64-year-old retired teacher, described the election as anything but normal.

The rally featured diverse voices, including Cammy Marinho, a 49-year-old DJ who spent two weeks persuading abstainers to switch sides, and 14-year-old Heitor Lopes da Silva, who traveled from Duque de Caxias in a wheelchair with a support placard. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s backers held their own rallies. In Belo Horizonte, thousands gathered in Praça da Liberdade wearing yellow jerseys and waving both Brazilian and US flags. Minas Gerais is a crucial bellwether state with the country’s second-largest electorate, where Bolsonaro led by nearly 5 percent in the first round. Antonio Carlos Costa Jr, a 59-year-old shooting club owner, defended the security message, arguing that his father empowered citizens to defend themselves.

Security experts point out that Jair Bolsonaro’s loose gun laws diverted firearms to criminal gangs, a trend Lula has since reversed with tighter regulations. Lula’s supporters argue that Bolsonaro, with documented ties to Rio’s paramilitary militias, is ill-equipped to curb crime. Erika Cavalcante, a 43-year-old architect, carried a sign reading, "Don't let the mobsters win," encapsulating the fears driving her community to the streets.