‘He cannot take power’: Bolsonaro’s seething supporters refuse to accept Brazil’s election result
You only had to go to the rallies of the two presidential candidates to understand the stark differences between the camps.
Lula’s political rallies were basically a street party with music and dancing – in contrast the Jair Bolsonaro rallies were more shouty and more serious.
Less party, more angry, if you like. And they are seething with anger right now.
Lula da Silva won the Brazilian election on Monday, beating Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin.
It was Brazil’s most polarised election in recent memory, pitting far-right incumbent Bolsonaro against the leftist former leader.
Bolsonaro’s office may have conceded defeat, but millions of his supporters have not, and so they took to the streets of São Paulo and 70 other cities across Brazil.
The country’s green and yellow colours have been co-opted by Bolsonaro and his supporters, and those colours were everywhere – on Brazil’s national football jersey, flags, caps, and banners.
Jair Bolsonaro
The national flag waved above the crowds as they gathered outside the military’s southeastern command.
They chanted for President Bolsonaro, but they’re calling for an intervention.
Put simply, they want a military coup.
“Don’t turn our flag red!” they shouted. They despise the leftist policies of Lula da Silva and his Worker’s Party, and they want him out by any means.
Read more: Lula da Silva will face challenges in a divided country
Bolsonaro supporters are also very suspicious of the media, and journalists in general.
There have been a number of incidents in recent months of journalists being assaulted by President Bolsonaro’s more extreme fans.
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Who is Brazil’s new president?
We were stopped a number of times and asked who we were, where we were from, and which news organisation we worked for.
When we said we were from Great Britain, they visibly relaxed and were generally happy to talk.
Lula greeted the crowds alongside his wife (in red)
Among the crowds were a large number of bikers, Bolsonaro himself an avid motorcycle enthusiast.
He often led his campaign rallies on his motorbike.
Dressed head-to-toe in his Harley Davidson leathers, 64-year-old Carlos Rubino sought me out in the crowd.
Carlos Rubino
He said he wanted the world to know what was going on here.
“He cannot take power,” Carlos told me, referring to Lula.
“The people on the streets, we want the military to take over and no election.”
I asked him if he’s really sure he wants the military to get involved. He confirmed “yes”.
“Any other guy could be elected, and we don’t have any problem, but not this guy, because he is a criminal.”
Lula was sent to prison in 2018 over a corruption scandal which sidelined him from that year’s election, paving the way for then-candidate Bolsonaro’s win and four years of far-right politics. His convictions were later annulled.
‘Fighting for our rights’
Tania Valerio
Tania Valerio was at first a bit shy, but was then persuaded by her friends to talk.
And she wasn’t shy to tell me what she thought.
“We are fighting for our rights, liberty, property, and family, our family above it all. No communists, please, we must fight until we have our liberty.”
Tania, like many here, believe the election was a fraud.
“The truth will come out, and there will be liberty for us,” she said.
Haulage lorries and their drivers were the first to begin the anti-Lula protests by blocking some of the country’s roads and major highways.
Supporters of Bolsonaro blocked highways and roads after his narrow election loss
They have become a symbol of the protest movement against the election result.
They turned up today, honking their horns to huge cheers as they edged their way through the packed streets.
Many here thought Bolsonaro’s carefully worded non-concession, concession address to the nation would dampen the fervour of his supporters. It hasn’t.
“The people are coming to the streets and will still come to streets today, tomorrow, until this situation will be finished, because we don’t want this president, we don’t want this,” another supporter Lou Arouk insisted.
But keeping the momentum going, when even Bolsonaro’s strongest political allies have publicly said the game is over, will be hard for these people to achieve.
It was a close election, but they did lose.
World
UK joins NATO operation to bolster Europe’s eastern flank after Russian drone incursions into Poland
NATO is to bolster Europe’s eastern flank, including the use of UK military resources, after Russia’s “reckless and unacceptable” violation of Polish airspace.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced operation ‘Eastern Sentry’ on Friday, involving the deployment of equipment on the border with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to deter potential Russian aggression.
Poland shot down Russian drones which flew over the country on Wednesday, something the military alliance has portrayed as an attempt by Moscow to test NATO’s military response.
It underlines long-held concerns about the potential expansion of Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.
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Michael Clarke: Russia looking to frighten NATO
Russia said its drones went astray because they were jammed, but European leaders believe the incursions were a deliberate provocation by Russia.
“It’s reckless and unacceptable. We can’t have Russian drones entering allied airspace,” Mr Rutte told a news conference.
Mark Rutte described Russian drones entering Polish airspace as ‘reckless’. Pic: Reuters
He added that allies, including the UK, France, Germany and Denmark, have so far committed to the mission with others set to join.
In a statement, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said: “The UK is fully committed to playing our part in NATO’s Eastern Sentry following the reckless and dangerous airspace violations by Russia”. It added that the details of the UK’s contribution would be announced soon.
Yvette Cooper visited Ukraine on Friday, her first visit to the country since becoming foreign secretary after a cabinet shake-up by Sir Keir Starmer.
Ms Cooper described her trip, which included a meeting with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine.
“The UK will not stand idly by as Putin continues his barbaric invasion of Ukraine,” Ms Cooper said, noting what she said was the Russian president’s “complete disregard for sovereignty” by sending drones into NATO airspace.
Yvette Cooper met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday. Pic: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Pic: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Prince Harry also made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he met with wounded service members.
NATO already has substantial forces in eastern Europe, including thousands of troops, but the alliance did not explain how many additional forces would be involved in the new operation.
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Prince Harry’s surprise visit to Ukraine
Speaking at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters, US General Alexus Grynkewich told reporters the additional resources will enable the alliance to “plug gaps in the line” and concentrate forces wherever they’re needed while improving communications across NATO’s entire eastern flank.
NATO detailed a modest number of additional military assets – including two F-16 fighter jets and a frigate from Denmark, three Rafale fighter jets from France and four Eurofighter jets from Germany.
The announcement also coincided with a joint military exercise involving thousands of Russian and Belarusian troops, which began on Friday.
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Meanwhile, new measures were announced by the UK against Russia on Friday.
They included bans on 70 vessels the UK says are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that transports Russian oil in defiance of sanctions.
Some 30 individuals and companies – including Chinese and Turkey-based firms – were also sanctioned for their part in supplying Russia with electronics, chemicals, explosives and other weapons components.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Read more from Sky News:
Ukraine war ‘is escalating’
Analysis: How should NATO react?
Putin is testing the West
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, dismissed Donald Trump’s suggestion that the drone incursion into Poland may have been “a mistake”.
“We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake,” Mr Tusk wrote on X. “But it wasn’t. And we know it.”
US-led efforts to steer Moscow and Kyiv toward a peace settlement have so far failed to progress.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said talks to end the war were currently on “pause” even though channels of communication remain open.
Thousands of troops are taking part in a joint military exercise between Russia and Belarus, as tensions with the EU run high following a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace earlier this week.
The Zapad joint military exercise which began on Friday will involve drills in both Russia and Belarus as well as in the Baltic and Barents seas, the Russian defence ministry said.
Belarusian defence officials initially said about 13,000 troops would participate in the drill, but in May, its defence ministry said that would be cut nearly in half.
It comes just two days after Poland, with support from its NATO allies, shot down Russian drones over its airspace.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday morning hit back at a suggestion by US President Donald Trump on Thursday that the incursion may have been a “mistake”.
He said in a post on X: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.”
Russia said its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the incursions and that it had not intended to hit any targets in Poland.
Friday also saw Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper travelling to Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv on the same day the UK announced fresh sanctions against Moscow.
Prince Harry was also in Kyiv for a surprise visit to help with the recovery of military personnel seriously injured in the three-year war with Russia.
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Prince Harry arrives in Kyiv
Ms Cooper, who was appointed foreign secretary last week, posted about her visit on X saying: “The UK’s support for Ukraine is steadfast. I am pleased to be in Kyiv on my first visit as Foreign Secretary.”
The UK’s new sanctions include bans on 70 vessels that Britain says are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that transports Russian oil in defiance of sanctions already in place.
Yvette Cooper with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Pic: Valentyn Ogirenko/PA
Some 30 individuals and companies – including Chinese and Turkey-based firms – have also been sanctioned for their part in supplying Russia with electronics, chemicals, explosives and other weapons components.
Read more from Sky News:
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Meanwhile on the frontline, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s oil-loading Primorsk port overnight, an SBU official said.
The attack caused fires and suspended oil-loading operations, the official added.
Russian defence systems also intercepted and destroyed 221 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Prince Harry has made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, a spokesperson for the royal has said.
Harry, who served 10 years in the British Army, visited the city at the invitation of the Ukrainian government.
The Duke of Sussex travelled to the capital to help with the recovery of military personnel seriously injured in the three-year war with Russia.
Pic: Railway of Ukraine Ukrzaliznytsia/AP
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will also be travelling to Kyiv on Friday in what will be her first foreign trip since being appointed to the job last week.
Her visit coincides with the UK launching a new package of Russia-related sanctions targeting ships carrying Russian oil as well as companies and individuals supplying electronics, chemicals and explosives used to make Russian weapons.
It comes as Russia and Belarus began a major joint military exercise on on NATO’s doorstep on Friday, just two days after Poland, with support from its NATO allies, shot down suspected Russian drones over its airspace.
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Drones shot down in Poland
The Zapad-2025 exercise – a show of force by Russia and its close ally – will involve drills in both countries and in the Baltic and Barents seas, the Russian defence ministry said.
Meanwhile on the frontline, Russian defence systems intercepted and destroyed 221 Ukrainian drones overnight,
including nine over the Moscow region, the ministry said on Friday.
The duke told the Guardian while on an overnight train to Kyiv: “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.
“We can continue to humanise the people involved in this war and what they are going through.
“We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitised to what has been going on.”
Read more from Sky News:
Brazil’s ex-president jailed for 27 years
Migrant hotel critics meet asylum seekers
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Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, previously travelled to Ukraine in April, when he visited war victims as part of his work with wounded veterans.
The prince visited the Superhumans Center, an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv that treats and rehabilitates wounded military personnel and civilians.
Earlier this week, Harry said the King is “great” after he reunited with him at Clarence House for a private tea.
It was their first meeting in 19 months and lasted just 54 minutes.
The last time the father and son saw each other was in February 2024 when the prince flew to the UK after the monarch announced his cancer diagnosis.
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have lived in California since they quit roles as senior working royals in March 2020.
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