Thousands of Jair Bolsonaro supporters on Wednesday called on the Brazilian military to step in and keep the right-wing president in power after he lost re-election to left-wing Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva over the weekend.

After days of silence, Bolsonaro delivered a short speech on Tuesday in which he neither accepted defeat nor congratulated Lula on his victory, though his chief of staff took the podium afterwards to say the president had “authorized” the transition to a new government .

Since then, his supporters have been demonstrating in front of military installations in major Brazilian cities to call for action.

“Federal Intervention Now!” chanted some of the thousands who gathered outside the southeastern military command in Sao Paulo, the Latin American country’s largest city, on Wednesday.

“We want federal intervention because we are demanding our freedom. We don’t allow a thief to rule us,” Angela Cosac, 70, told AFP, alongside a sign that read “SOS Armed Forces”.

Another demonstration along Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo was scheduled for later in the day.

Thousands also rallied in the capital, Brasilia, chanting “civil resistance.” In rainy downtown Rio de Janeiro, protesters were filmed by Brazilian media chanting, “Lula, thief, your place is in prison.”

Protesters also maintained road blockades across the country for the third straight day, although the number fell to 167 on Wednesday, from 271 on Tuesday, police said.

In Sao Paulo, military police used tear gas to break up a blockade on the main road connecting the state with the country’s west-central region after the Supreme Court ordered the use of “all necessary measures” to open the roads.

According to scenes broadcast on local television, trucks honked their horns while protesters in yellow football shirts waved flags at passing vehicles.

The blockades have caused disruptions across the country. Sao Paulo’s main airport, Guarulhos, canceled 48 flights because of the protests, according to its press office.

The National Confederation of Industry warned Tuesday of an “imminent threat of fuel shortages” if roads are not reopened quickly.

Infrastructure Minister Marcelo Sampaio late Tuesday urged protesters to open the freeways to allow medicine, supplies and fuel to circulate.

Bolsonaro said Tuesday the roadblocks were “the result of outrage and a sense of injustice at how the election process went.”

“Peaceful protests will always be welcome,” he said.

This was interpreted by some supporters as a call for the demonstrations to continue.

“The dream is still alive,” said a supporter in a message on Telegram on Tuesday. “Tomorrow fill the streets.”

Bolsonaro’s comments on Tuesday broke his two-day silence on the election results, which had fueled fears he would not accept the result.

In a two-minute speech, the far-right incumbent did not name Lula, but promised to abide by the constitution.

In response, his chief of staff told the assembled press that the president had “authorized” the start of the transition.

Lula’s Labor Party announced on Tuesday that his vice-president-elect, Geraldo Alckmin, will lead the transition process, which will begin on Thursday.

Lula, who served as president from 2003 to 2010, will be inducted into his third term on January 1.