Demonstrations in Brazil call for the dismissal of Jair Bolsonaro

(CNN) – Protests against the president Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, kicked off Saturday afternoon in dozens of cities in Brazil.

Organized by social movements and left-wing parties, the protesters demanded the removal of Bolsonaro and more vaccines against COVID-19, which has already killed more than 548,000 people in the South American country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

This Saturday’s session marks the fourth protest against Bolsonaro this year amid rising government corruption scandals and a low approval rating.

A protest against the government of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the Esplande de Ministries in Brasilia, on July 24, 2021. Credit: EVARISTO SA / AFP via Getty Images

The demonstrations were largely peaceful until the afternoon, beginning around eight in the morning on Saturday.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Rio Grande do Sul, Recife and Salvador, protesters moved into the city center in the late afternoon.

Early Saturday in Sao Paulo, a group of protesters set fire to a 10-meter-high statue honoring Borba Gato, a historical figure associated with the colonialism of the Brazilian Midwest that enslaved indigenous people and blacks. The “Revolution of the Parties” group claimed responsibility for the attack. Firefighters put out the fire without damaging the statue.

Demonstrators against the government of President Jair Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 24, 2021. Credit: MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL / AFP via Getty Images