Brazilian Highways Cleared of Protesters After Appeal From Bolsonaro

Highways across Brazil were cleared of protesters on Wednesday, November 2, following a request from outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his supporters to respect people’s right to freedom of movement.

Supporters of Bolsonaro blocked highways throughout Brazil on Tuesday in protest against the outcome of Brazil’s presidential election run-off, which saw Bolsonaro lose to Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro released a video on Wednesday asking his supporters to clear the highways.

“The protests, the demonstrations are welcome, they are part of the democratic game,” he said, adding that “closing highways throughout Brazil harms people’s right to come and go” and was unconstitutional. “This is not part of legitimate demonstrations.”

This footage from the Military Police of the State of Sao Paulo shows cars moving freely down highways in various locations across Sao Paulo, including Piedade, Piracicaba, and Limeira, with heavy military presence in some areas.

Freedom of movement is a constitutionally protected right in Brazil.

The Federal Supreme Court released a statement on Tuesday evening saying Bolsonaro had met with members of the court and officially recognized the outcome of Sunday’s election, marking the beginning of the transfer of power. Credit: Military Police of the State of Sao Paulo via Storyful