Opposition protesters taking part in the motorcades held in ten different states called for vaccinations against COVID-19, the G1 news portal said. The protests were held in 17 different cities, including Brazil’s capital Brasilia, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
The protesters accused Bolsonaro of mishandling the coronavirus epidemic in the country. Members of trade unions called for the resumption of emergency payments to citizens severely impacted by the coronavirus restrictions, according to G1.
In December, Bolsonaro, notorious for dismissing public health recommendations on COVID-19, said he was not going to get vaccinated against the disease. The president tested positive for the coronavirus this past summer.
Brazil has the third-largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases (over 8.7 million) out of all the countries in the world. It is surpassed by India and the US. Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll of over 215,000 is the second largest in the world, after the US.