Brazilians swept through the streets across the country Sunday for an anti-government protest demanding the removal of President Dilma Rousseff.
Called out mostly by activist groups via social media, Sunday's protests were sparked by their anger over an eroding economy and a corruption scandal that has implicated politicians in Rousseff's Workers Party, leaving Rousseff fighting for her political life, according to Fox News Latino.
Many marched wearing the green, yellow and blue colors of Brazil. Some waved flags and carried banners. Many protesters called for the president to be impeached, while others called for a return to military dictatorship like the one that ruled the country from 1964-1985.
"I'm in favor of anything that will take that party out of government, even impeachment," one protester told CNN in Rio de Janeiro.
A corruption investigation into a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme at the state-run oil company Petrobras has implicated dozens of the country's leading businessmen and politicians. The president was the chairwoman of Petrobras during many of the years that the alleged corruption took place, reported The Wall Street Journal. As a result of the investigation, Rousseff has seen her approval rating drop to less than 10 percent about seven months into her second term.
She defended Brazilians' right to protest and acknowledged the need to clean up corruption at Petrobras but denied any prior knowledge of the alleged kickback scheme.
In a research note, the Eurasia Group political risk consulting firm called Sunday's protests "an important signpost to monitor."
"While calls for Rousseff to step down will be the headline of Sunday's demonstrations ... the greater risk for the government would be if massive protests become frequent and if they are followed by movements from organized labor," the firm said.
