From São Paulo in the southeast to Salvador in the northeast, Brazil’s mothers have been forging a new position in the nation’s politics. In between the two rounds of presidential elections last month, they showed that a mother's place is on the streets, protesting against the politics of hate and intolerance with their babies and children.
As incumbent right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s motorcade swept through the streets of Brazilian cities, the Movimento das Carrinhatas, as it became known, swapped the motorcycle outriders for baby strollers pushed by mothers and caregivers. The protests occupied the streets of cities across the country – Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília and Juiz de Fora.
The movement began in São Paulo, where mothers came together on WhatsApp after the first round of voting on 2 October. They were worried about the possibility of Bolsonaro winning re-election, after he performed much better than pollsters predicted in the first round. The mothers organised, taking to the streets in defence of democracy and in support of Bolsonaro’s challenger, former President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva.
