Brazil: Mass Protests Calling for President Dilma Rousseff’s Impeachment

Mass protests have been held across Brazil with demonstrators calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Support for Dilma Rousseff has fallen to single-digit figures in recent polls.

Many voters have accused her of failing to stamp out corruption and blame her for the economy’s worst slump in 25 years.

Marchers Hundreds of thousands of people took over Copacabana beach in Rio and also demonstrated outside congress in the capital Brasilia.

Many wore the yellow shirts of the Brazilian football team, and sang the national anthem, carrying banners saying “Dilma Out”.

About 350,000 people took part in protests in Sao Paulo, police say.

Another 25,000 people took part in a demonstration in the capital, Brasilia.

The national day of action is the third major protest against Dilma Rousseff and her left-wing Workers’ Part this year. Hundreds of thousands took part in demonstrations in March and April.

Dilma Rousseff is less than a year into her second term as president.

There have also been demonstrations in recent months showing support for the president, with many claiming calls for her impeachment amount to a coup attempt.

Anti-government protesters say Dilma Rouseff must have known about a corruption scandal in the state oil firm, Petrobras, as alleged bribery took place when she was head of the company.

Dilma Rouseff was exonerated in an investigation by the attorney general and denies involvement. However, several senior members of her government have been implicated.

Government austerity measures are also hugely unpopular with the electorate, correspondents say, as are rising unemployment and inflation rates.

A survey by the Brazilian company Datafolha showed support for Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment was strongest in the poorest areas, which backed her in the last election.