This is the 11886th most frequent Portuguese word.
protestavam
"Protestavam" means "they protested" or "were protesting."
Here, 'protestavam' is used in the past imperfect tense to indicate an ongoing action in the past, showing that there was a continuous action of protesting.
Os estudantes protestavam contra as novas regras.
The students protested against the new rules.
In this sentence, 'protestavam' is again in the past imperfect tense, emphasizing habitual actions or repeated events in the past tied to protesting.
Eles protestavam sempre que havia injustiça.
They protested whenever there was injustice.
This usage of 'protestavam' describes an action carried out by the people within the ongoing event of the march, reflecting an activity happening during a period in the past.