BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Thousands took to the streets across Brazil on Saturday to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro's pandemic response, blasting the leader for not acquiring vaccines fast enough and for questioning the need for mask-wearing.

Brazil surpassed 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, according to the Health Ministry, the world's highest death toll after the United States.[nL2N2O10FX]