Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro led a motorbike rally through Rio de Janeiro as throngs gathered amid the coronavirus pandemic to cheer him on.

The far-right leader was accompanied by a substantial security detail at the head of several thousand motorbikes that was screened live on the president's official Facebook page.

The parade comes as Bolsonaro has tried to galvanize his support base at a time when his popularity has sunk to its lowest since he took over the presidency in January 2019, and with the latest opinion polls putting him behind ex-president Lula ahead of next year's election.