Protests in some 200 cities across Brazil on Saturday demanded the resignation and impeachment of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The protesters were expressing their grievances about the country’s handling of the pandemic – which has left close to 600 000 people dead in Brazil – along with stressful socio-economic conditions, not the least of which has been the rising cost of living. Around 14 million people are unemployed in Brazil.
No violent incidents were reported during the protests.
The demonstrations were also intended as a show of unity by left-leaning groups in opposition to President Bolsonaro’s incumbency. The protests were attended by a number of high-profile figures, including the runner-up in the 2018 presidential election (and Bolsonaro’s chief opponent at this time), Fernando Haddad.
Polling has captured frustration at the performance of the incumbent government, with over half the country reporting unfavourable views of it, according to a September poll by the Brazilian company, Datafolha.