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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Constance Malleret in Rio de Janeiro

‘We are for democracy’: Brazil football fans clear pro-Bolsonaro blockades

A long line of trucks is seen during a blockade held by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro on Castelo Branco highway, on the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday.
A long line of trucks is seen during a blockade held by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro on Castelo Branco highway, on the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday. Photograph: Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

Brazilian football ultras keen to reach away games have been hailed as democratic heroes after breaking through road blockades set up by far-right supporters of president Jair Bolsonaro, who refuse to accept his defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s tightly contested presidential election.

Pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators baselessly alleging electoral fraud have been blocking roads and highways across the country since Sunday night, causing chaos, cancelled flights and fears of fuel shortages. On Tuesday morning, Brazil’s supreme court ruled that the federal highway police must immediately take measures to clear the roads. Videos showed that some police officers were encouraging the protests.

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