March for Jesus brings together thousands of faithful in the center of Rio de Janeiro

Thousands of faithful gathered in the central region of Rio de Janeiro, this Saturday (23), to celebrate the 19th edition of the March for Jesus, considered one of the biggest Christian events in the country.

The gathering of the event began on Avenida Presidente Vargas, and at around 2pm, the public continued walking to Praça da Apoteose.

Recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of the state of Rio since 2023, this year's march had the theme "The power of Decision". Evangelical leaders participated in the event and highlighted the proposal for union between different churches and aspects of Christianity.

On the main stage, well-known artists from the gospel scene led more than eight hours of free performances. Among the attractions were Thalles Roberto, Maria Marçal, Midian Lima, Waguinho and Samuel Messias.

"It's not about a show, it's about a position, it's about a watershed, it's hoping that the heavens will answer our prayers", said pastor Leandro Silva, who presides over the Council of Ministers of Rio de Janeiro (Comerj), main organizer of the event.

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Movement on the streets
The movement of thousands of people also caused changes in traffic and public transport in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. The city hall set up an operation plan to follow the entire march schedule.

The SuperVia subway, VLT, buses and trains had reinforced operations, with extra trips planned after the end of the event.

The Rio Operations Center also set up a special monitoring action, with cameras and drones spread along the march route.

*With information from Agência Brasil

Source: CNN