Updated May 30, 2021 - World

In photos: Thousands rally across Brazil against Bolsonaro over COVID crisis

Rebecca Falconer

Demonstrators take part in a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 29. Photo: Nelson AlmeidaL/AFP via Getty Images

Tens of thousands of people rallied in over 200 cities and towns across Brazil Saturday to protest President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed some 460,000 people in the country, per the Guardian.

The big picture: Bolsonaro has frequently downplayed the pandemic despite soaring cases, with hospitals overstretched. Saturday's protests, organized by leftist groups, remained peaceful in most cities, but police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators in Recife, northeast Brazil, Reuters notes.

A protester kicks a papier mache head meant to represent Brazilian President Bolsonaro. — A protester kicks a papier mache head depicting Bolsonaro at a rally in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Fernando Souza/picture alliance via Getty Images

Demonstrators gather during a protest against the government's Covid-19 response, on Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday, May 29 — Demonstrators gather during a protest on Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo on May 29. Photo: Cristina Szucinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic with a giant inflatable doll depicting him as a monster, in Brasilia, on May 29 — Members of opposition parties and social movements participate in a protest while displaying a large inflatable caricature of the president in the country's capital, Brasilia, on May 29. Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images

People take part in a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on May 29 — Anti-Bolsonaro protesters in Belo Horizonte, the capital of southeastern Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, on May 29. Photo: Douglas Magno/AFP via Getty Images

A demonstrator wears a protective face mask with the phrase in Portuguese: "Bolsonaro out" during a protest against his governement on May 29, 2021 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. — A demonstrator wears a protective face mask that states in Portuguese: "Bolsonaro out" during a rally May 29 in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

A demonstrator holds a sign reading Oxygen became a priviledge during a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro'at the Praca da Liberdade in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on May 29 — A demonstrator holds a sign stating that oxygen has became a privilege during a protest a at the Praca da Liberdade in Belo Horizonte on May 29. Photo: Douglas Magno/AFP via Getty Images

Go deeper: Brazilian Senate launches probe into government's handling of pandemic

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos.