Rivals Force Shutdown of Marçal’s Campaign for São Paulo Mayor as Polls Rise

A São Paulo judge has temporarily halted Pablo Marçal’s social media activities as his campaign intensifies.

Marçal, a candidate for São Paulo’s mayor from the right-wing PRTB party, faces this injunction issued last Friday.

Judge Antonio Maria Patiño Zorz targeted Marçal’s profiles on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and his official website. The order also extends to his interactions on the Discord platform.

The court intervened after allegations from the rivaling left-wing PSB party, represented by candidate Tabata Amaral, one of his competitors.

They accused Marçal of abusing economic power by incentivizing followers to promote his campaign online for financial rewards.

According to the PSB, Marçal encouraged creating video snippets of his speeches, promising payment if they achieved significant viewership. They argued these strategies unfairly skewed the electoral competition.

Judge Zorz described Marçal’s approach as a “competition” of video clips, which unduly magnified his campaign’s reach.

This, if true, breached electoral regulations. The ruling imposes a daily fine of R$10,000 if Marçal fails to comply.

It strictly prohibits any financial incentives for content creators cutting his videos. Moreover, the decision halts his campaign-related activities on Discord until the election concludes.

Rivals Force Shutdown of Marçal’s Campaign for São Paulo Mayor as Polls Rise

Marçal reacted swiftly and vehemently. He criticized the court’s decision as out of touch, asserting it aims to curb his growing electoral momentum.

He accused his opponents of employing legal tactics to obstruct his campaign progress out of jealousy.

Meanwhile, Tabata Amaral lauded the decision as crucial for ensuring a fair electoral process.

She likened it to an “antidoping” measure in sports, hinting at illegal campaign tactics by Marçal.

Despite the legal setback, Marçal, who has risen in poll standings, announced plans to appeal the injunction.

He intends to take his case to the Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo. If necessary, he will escalate to the Superior Electoral Court, indicating a potential prolonged legal battle.