Thousands of people gathered in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro — Brazil’s most populous cities — chanting, “Out Bolsonaro, out Bolsonaro” and carrying signs saying: “Bolsonaro Must Leave, Impeachment Now!” according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil.
In the capital, Brasilia, demonstrators marched to the front of the National Congress, carrying signs protesting the price of gas and food.
Basic food items and gasoline prices are on the rise in Brazil and more than 14 million people are unemployed, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Authorities have not released official figures but organizers said protests took place in more than 200 cities across the country, according to Reuters. Protesters also gathered in northern state capitals such as Recife and Belém, in peaceful demonstrations with no incidents reported.
The protests against Bolsonaro marked an attempt by the opposition to show unity, bringing together center-left parties, trade unions and social movements. It was in response to a rally of Bolsonaro supporters held last month.
In the latest poll from Brazil’s largest opinion polling group, the Datafolha Institute, Bolsonaro’s approval rating continues to decline. More than half of Brazilians — 53% — now consider Bolsonaro’s presidency to be bad or awful, the lowest approval rating for the President since he took office in 2019, according to the September 16 Datafolha poll.
Voting intentions for next year’s presidential election show that former president Lula could win in the first round, according to Datafolha.
Additional reporting by Reuters.