WEB DESK
Outgoing President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro has asked his supporters to stand down after truck drivers blocked highways around the country to protest Sunday’s election result. In a brief statement on Twitter, he urged supporters to clear roadways so that people could move freely.
After election results were announced on Sunday, pro-Bolsonaro truck drivers and other protesters staged hundreds of road-blocks in more than 20 States around Brazil. Some of them called for a military intervention to keep Bolsonaro in power. The Supreme Federal Court ordered the use of all necessary measures to open roads. Local media report that in Sao Paulo, military police used tear gas to disperse protesters at one major blockade.
Federal highway police said 732 roadblocks had been cleared across the country and around 146 remained till yesterday. The protests threatened to disrupt agricultural exports, while the main airport in Sao Paulo canceled 48 flights.