Brazil: Demonstrators fill streets with red smoke in support of President Dilma Rousseff

In reaction to this, thousands of Brazilians across 17 states, including the nation's capital, took to the streets in her defence. Many filled the air with cans of red smoke, the colour of the Brazilian Workers' Party, to show their support for her innocence.

Demonstrations like these have been happening since early 2015, after revelations about numerous politicians accepting bribes from the state-owned energy company Petrobras from 2003 to 2010 – the time when Rousseff was on the company's board of directors. Most of the politicians accused were from Brazil Workers' Party, and they went under investigation.

A man holds a sign during the protests in Rio de Janeiro (Yasuyoshi Chiba /AFP)

To antagonise her allies even more, Rousseff went on to nominate former president Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva as her chief of staff, after he had been charged for money laundering and fraud. A secret conversation was then recorded between the two politicians was then released shortly after, giving apparent evidence that she had nominated hum to protect him from prosecutors.

A woman looks over the crowds of people during a rally in support of President Dilma Rousseff (Mario Tama/Getty)

A man sells Brazil flags at a rally supporting President Dilma Rousseff (Mario Tama/Getty)

Protestors chant at a rally in support of President Dilma Rousseff (Mario Tama/Getty)

Supporters of President Dilma Rousseff rally in coloured smoke while demonstrating at a rally supporting her presidency (Mario Tama/Getty)

A protestor marches with Brazilian colours at a rally supporting President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Mario Tama/Getty)

The lower house of Congress are to cast their votes in mid-April on whether Rousseff should stand trial in the Senate. If she does, she will be facing charges for manipulating government accounts to win re-election in 2014. Rousseff has pledged to fight the charges which have been brought on the by opposition of irregularities in the government budget designed to favour her in the 2014 re-election.

Supporters of Brazils Workers' Party (PT) demonstrate in red smoke, the party's colour, in support of President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)

A doll of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seenm during the protests (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

A supporter of Brazils Workers' Party (PT) looks on during a demonstration in support of President Dilma Rousseff and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)

Supporters of Brazils Workers' Party (PT) demonstrate in the streets of Rio de Janeiro (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)

A man is surrounded by red smoke during the protest against impeachment proceedings made against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

Protestors rally in support of President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Mario Tama/Getty)

Supporters of President Dilma Rousseff rally in red smoke, the colour of Rousseff's Workers Party (PT), as thet demonstrate at a rally supporting her presidency (Mario Tama/Getty)

A woman carries a doll wearing a sash reading 'Democracy' at a rally supporting President Dilma Rousseff (Mario Tama/Getty)

A supporter of Brazils Workers' Party (PT) takes a picture in a red smoke during the protests (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP)

Protestors gather at a rally supporting President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Mario Tama/Getty)

A man takes part in the protest against impeachment proceedings made against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de Janeiro (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

People gather to protest against impeachment proceedings against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff in Rio de JaneiroRicardo Moraes/Reuters