Thousands protest leading Brazil presidential candidate

FILE - In this April 19, 2018 file photo, presidential hopeful, conservative Brazilian lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro flashes two thumbs up as he poses for a photo with cadets during a ceremony marking Army Day, in Brasilia, Brazil. Bolsonaro, the leading candidate in Brazil's presidential race was discharged from the hospital Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, where he was being treated for a knife wound to his abdomen. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)

A man walks near T-shirt with the image of Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate for the National Social Liberal Party, are displayed for sale on a shop in the neighborhood of Nucleo Bandeirante, near the center of Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. Brazil's far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is recovering after a successful emergency surgery to repair tissues of his intestinal walls. Bolsonaro was stabbed Sept. 6 during a rally in the southeastern city of Juiz de Fora. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America's largest country.

At a festive demonstration in downtown Rio de Janeiro, protesters danced, sang and shouted, "Not him!" The phrase has been the rallying cry of groups who are trying to prevent Jair Bolsonaro from taking office in October elections.

Around 7,000 people also gathered in the capital of Brasilia to denounce the candidate, according to police estimates. A handful of rallies in support of him were also planned for the weekend.

Bolsonaro is currently leading polls with around 28 percent of support among voters polled, but he also has the highest rejection rate of any candidate. That could become especially important if no one wins the majority of votes on Oct. 7, and the election is decided in a second round. Polls then show him losing in most scenarios.

His support is particularly thin among women, who led the protests against him Saturday, although men and children were also in attendance. According to a recent Ibope poll, 36 percent of men surveyed said they would vote for Bolsonaro, while only 18 percent of women supported him — an unusual gap.

The difference in support between men and woman for other candidates varies by only a handful of percentage points.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 22 and 24 and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Brazil is experiencing a moment of intense and unusual polarization after a tumultuous few years. It has suffered a deep recession, a prolonged corruption investigation that ensnared the political class, and the impeachment of its first female president after highly contentious proceedings.

As a result, this year's elections are among the most unpredictable and heated in years.

The protests come the same day Bolsonaro was released from the hospital after being stabbed on Sept. 6 during a campaign rally. He underwent surgeries to repair damage to his intestines and to stem severe internal bleeding, although it's not yet clear when or if he will get back on the campaign trail.

But his campaign has both benefited from and contributed to the political divide by focusing on culture-war issues and "traditional" family values.

Bolsonaro has long been known for offensive comments about gays, women and black people, and he hasn't tempered his rhetoric during the campaign. He has also kept up his praise of Brazil's two-decade military dictatorship and promised to give police permission to shoot first and ask questions later.

In response, many Brazilians have vowed to support whomever he faces in the second round.

At the same time, his 'tell it like it is' attitude has found traction among voters who are angry at the political establishment.

Despite his decades in Congress, some see the candidate as a no-nonsense outsider who can rid Brazil of corruption and high crime rates.