AFP . Rio De Janeiro :
A supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro prays as she takes part in a demonstration to shore up the ultraconservative government as it faces growing opposition, in Rio de Janeiro, while marches are planned across Brazil, on 26 May. Photo: ReutersThousands of supporters of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets across Brazil Sunday in a protest seen as a gauge of the embattled leader’s popularity only five months into his term.
Waving Brazilian flags and chanting Bolsonaro’s nickname “Mito” or “Myth,” protesters wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “My party is Brazil” demanded lawmakers speed up approval of the government’s signature pension reform, which has stalled in Congress.
His supporters blamed “satanic maneuvers” by the head of the lower house, Rodrigo Maia, for stalling the reform.
Bolsonaro, who was in Rio for a family wedding and had previously announced that he would not to take part in the demonstrations, shared pictures and videos of the protests on Twitter.
“Most of the people came out on the streets with legitimate, democratic concerns,” he tweeted.
Former paratrooper Geralmir dos Santos gathered with the thousands of noisy protesters along Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach.
