Thousands of Rio Students Protest Bolsonaro’s Runoff Bid

Thousands of students marched Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, through downtown Rio de Janeiro between historic squares including Cinelandia, opposing Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff. Red-clad demonstrators chanted "Olé olé olé ola, Lula Lula." Neither Bolsonaro nor incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reached 50% on Sunday; Bolsonaro led by about 2 million votes. Talita Amaral, 19, wearing Brazil's yellow and green soccer jersey to reclaim the colors, said "We're fighting for Brazil, not for Lula" and called for occupying streets and WhatsApp groups. João Victor Vieira, 20, said "If Bolsonaro wins, Brazil will become a colony of the United States," warned of threats to minorities, and said "This protest shows that social movements are still very much alive" and "We will resist." Students carried a "Brazil is not the backyard of the U.S." sign and held defaced images of Flávio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro faces investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion tied to Banco Master. Protesters cited 700,000 coronavirus deaths under Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving 27 years for attempting a coup. AP puts combined third-to-fifth right-leaning candidates' votes at more than 8 million; other outlets say 6 million. The runoff is Oct. 25.