With flags and banners raised, around 4,000 activists from the “Agitation and Propaganda Brigades for Lula as President” marched through the streets of São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo) to the 1º de Maio Stadium this Sunday (16). The mobilization marked the participation of social and grassroots movements in the launch of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election campaign.

The action brought together activists from the organizations that make up the Brigades: the Central of Popular Movements (CMP), the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), the Small Farmers’ Movement (MPA), the Union of Housing Movements (UMM), and the Unified Federation of Oil Workers (FUP). Coming from various regions of São Paulo state and across Brazil, they gathered starting at 7:00 a.m. near the intersection of Jurubatuba and Olavo Bilac streets and proceeded together to the stadium, where they joined the 40,000 people attending the campaign launch.

During the march, Raimundo Bonfim, of the “Lula for President” mobilization coordination team, highlighted that the participation of the Brigades marks the starting point for a mobilization effort that will take to the streets, social media, and local communities over the coming weeks.

“Starting today and over the next 50 days, activists from popular movements and the popular democratic camp will occupy the streets, social media, and territories across the country so that, on October 4, we can re-elect Lula as president of Brazil once again. Our participation in this Sunday’s rally demonstrates our strength and grassroots organization. We will spare no effort to see Lula walk up the ramp of the Planalto Palace for the fourth time,” he stated.

The participation of the Brigades added to the symbolic significance of the campaign launch itself. Lula chose Vila Euclides to kick off his re-election bid, 47 years after the massive strikes by ABC metalworkers—strikes that challenged the military dictatorship and propelled his leadership onto the national stage.

In 1979, facing thousands of striking workers and lacking a sound system powerful enough to reach the entire stadium, Lula climbed onto a borrowed bar table to address the metalworkers. The workers themselves repeated his words so that the message would reach the entire crowd.

Upon returning to the site to launch his campaign for a fourth term, Lula recalled that era and the bond forged with the working class. “The emotion I feel today is unique. It is an emotion far stronger than what I felt in 1979, right here in this stadium,” the president stated.

From the stands of the 1º de Maio Stadium, Miriam Hermogenes, national coordinator of the CMP, highlighted the enduring nature of popular participation in defending democracy and shaping the country’s future. “Just as in 1979, the people came to this ground, and today we are here again—with the people and the Agitation and Propaganda Brigades—united to break the grip of fascism in our country. It’s Lula again in 2026!” she declared.

Tamires Cruz, a coordinator for MAB (Movement of People Affected by Dams) in the state of São Paulo, echoed this sentiment. She also highlighted the importance of grassroots participation in shaping this process. “Having social movements here, where it all began, ensures popular participation in the society we are collectively fighting for and building,” she emphasized. Representing oil sector workers, Steve Austin, a leader of the FUP (Unified Oil Workers’ Federation), underscored the presence of his sector alongside other social movements. “We are here representing oil workers at this important event, standing with social movements and the Agitation and Propaganda Brigades—the forces that will propel Lula to the presidency,” he stated. Meanwhile, Sidnei Pita, a coordinator for the Union of Housing Movements, emphasized that activists fighting for the “right to the city” see President Lula as the guarantee that the *Minha Casa, Minha Vida – Entidades* (MCMV) housing program will continue. “Whenever democracy is under threat, it is the poor who suffer the worst consequences. That was the case when Bolsonaro cut the MCMV program, and when the Ministry of Cities was abolished. Those of us fighting for decent housing refuse to go back to the past; we want to expand our gains and move forward, building bigger and better homes for the people who truly build this country,” he declared.

Lula kicks off campaign for fourth term

Addressing the 40,000 people filling the 1º de Maio Stadium, Lula delivered a speech marked by reflections on workers’ struggles and the challenges of a potential fourth term. The president championed democracy, criticized the far right, and identified education, job creation, housing, public security, and national sovereignty as priorities. He also advocated for investments in science, technology, and industrialization as part of a national development strategy.

Speaking directly to the party faithful, Lula urged the campaign to take to the streets and emphasized the need for dialogue with the public to highlight the differences between the competing political visions and the track records of past administrations regarding employment, education, income, and public policy.

The launch event also featured Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who underscored the defense of democracy; Fernando Haddad, the candidate for governor of São Paulo, who spoke about the achievements of the Lula administration; and Janja Lula da Silva, who highlighted the role of women in grassroots struggles and paid tribute to Marisa Letícia and the women who supported their families during the historic strikes in the ABC region.