Bolsonaro on wheels: A new push for popularity

Amid a looming third coronavirus wave, a stuttered vaccination effort, and unfavorable electoral polls, President Jair Bolsonaro is trying to muffle the sound of his growing opposition with the roar of motorcycle engines. In May, the far-right leader gathered tens of thousands of mostly unmasked bikers on the streets of Brasília and Rio de Janeiro for a series of noisy public rallies — much to the surprise to those outside of the pro-Bolsonaro social media bubble.

On June 12, Mr. Bolsonaro hopes to attract 1 million motorbikes to take to the streets of São Paulo in a show of strength. Organizers have called the rally “Accelerating for Christ,” an on-the-nose attempt to boost attendance among Evangelical Christians, who have been an important pillar of the president’s support base.

The event will take place two weeks after hundreds of thousands took to the streets in 200 Brazilian cities to demand Mr. Bolsonaro’s impeachment. The president played down the protests, saying that criticism from the left “is a sign that [he] is on the right path.”

But footage of throngs of people marching against him on Brazil’s streets has left Mr....