Several thousand supporters marched to Brazil’s topelectoral court chanting “Free Lula” and “Lula for President” asthey accompanied top members of his PT party to register hiscandidacy just hours before the deadline.

While he was nominated earlier this month to be his party’scandidate, Lula is expected to be barred from running by thecountry’s top electoral court since Brazilian law barscandidates whose conviction has been upheld on appeal, which isLula’s situation. Lula has been jailed since April but stillleads all election polling.

The PT will use all appeals to delay any final ruling onLula’s registration, and says he is its only candidate. Lula haschosen former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad to lead the PTticket when he is likely barred, according to party sources.

Police said 10,000 people participated in the march. Noincidents or arrests were reported.

Lula governed Brazil for two terms from 2003 to 2011 and leftoffice with a record approval rating of 87 percent due to abooming economy and social programs that lifted millions ofBrazilians from poverty.

His popularity has been hurt by corruption indictments andscandals involving his party, which was ousted from power in2016 when his handpicked successor was impeached for breakingbudget rules.

Still, polls show about one-third of Brazilians would votefor him if he is allowed to run, almost double his nearestrival, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, and many of hissupporters are expected to vote for whoever replaces him in therace.