Protests Show Weakness of Brazil's Embattled Left

Brazil's embattled left staged protests in dozens of cities Thursday, but the low turnout was in sharp contrast with last weekend's mass demonstrations against leftist President Dilma Rousseff.

Four days after nearly a million people marched to call for Rousseff's impeachment, a series of leftwing gatherings were unlikely to give the Brazilian president, whose popularity ratings are in single digits, much of a lift.

Various groups announced protests in more than 30 cities around Latin America's biggest and richest country.

However, the demonstrations highlighted the infighting and low morale undermining Rousseff's shrinking political base as she employs austerity measures to try to mend a crumbling economy.

The president's Workers' Party appealed for Brazilians to come out "in defense of democracy," while other leftwing groups like the Homeless Workers said they were demonstrating against Rousseff's policies -- even if they opposed calls for her ouster.

Footage provided by organizers of far flung demonstrations showed crowds only hundreds strong, while local media reports said that even the biggest gatherings were not more than in the low thousands.

In Rio de Janeiro, 300 to 400 people from the Homeless Workers and several smaller groups gathered at lunchtime in the central Cinelandia square.

Their support for Rousseff was at best lukewarm, saying they'd fight attempts to remove her from power, but believed she had abandoned her socialist roots to embrace liberal austerity.

The austerity measures enacted after four years of weak economic growth are starting to bite and will get tougher, with the economy forecast to enter a recession lasting through 2016.

"We're in a very difficult position," said Luis Felipe Marques, 26, a photographer.

"It's really complicated. I can't support impeachment, but on the other hand I have to be against austerity, because that's not the left."

Later, Rousseff's Workers' Party was to hold a separate rally in Rio. More marches were expected in other major centers, including Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia.