Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Brazil's major cities to protest legislative efforts to shield former president Jair Bolsonaro from the courts, marking the strongest leftist demonstrations in years.

Sunday's protests, organised by social movements, unions and political parties, denounced politicians trying to avoid legal consequences for themselves and Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to prison for a coup plot after his supporters stormed government buildings following his 2022 election defeat.

It was the first major demonstration since Bolsonaro's conviction this month, with numbers rivalling recent right-wing protests against his sentencing in major cities, driving home the stark divisions in one of the world's largest democracies.

"I hope today's demonstration outnumbers t

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