RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro have taken to the streets by the thousands in several cities to defend the government and its justice minister, who faces accusations of he'd acted improperly while overseeing corruption allegations as a judge.

Justice Minister Sergio Moro tweeted acknowledgment of the crowds, saying "I see. I hear," along with photos of a mass rally in Rio de Janeiro.

The online news site The Intercept published leaked messages it says show Moro while a judge worked too closely with prosecutors in going after leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom he convicted of corruption.

Demonstrators said they doubted the content of the leaks and suggested they were part of an effort to end the sweeping crackdown on corruption that Moro led.