Backers of embattled Bolsonaro take to streets in Brazil

Thousands gathered in cities across Brazil on Sunday to show support for President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces an uncooperative Congress, street protests, a family corruption scandal and falling approval ratings five months into his term.

The stumbling start for the far-right leader who rode a wave of dissatisfaction with Brazil's political class to victory led his backers to call for the demonstrations, which represented a mixed bag of demands and protests.

Supporters sang the national anthem and waved Brazilian flags while chanting the names of Bolsonaro cabinet members. Many said that Brazil's institutions were not letting Bolsonaro govern. Some called for the closure of Congress and the Supreme Court.

"We need to clean out Congress," said Neymar de Menezes, a 45-year-old construction contractor. "Unfortunately all the deputies there are compromised and all about deal making. Bolsonaro is fighting them by himself."
The call for demonstrations created a rift among Brazil's conservatives. The president of Bolsonaro's party said protests "don't make sense."
Bolsonaro did not participate in the demonstrations. Speaking at a church service in Rio de Janeiro, he said demonstrators were on the streets to, "deliver a message to those who insist on keeping the old politics who aren't allowing the people to be free."
Bolsonaro dismissed the student-led protests, calling their participants "imbeciles" and "useful idiots."