BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil’s President Michel Temer defiantly refused to step down Thursday after being put under investigation for allegedly authorising payment of hush money to a politician imprisoned for corruption.

“I will not resign. I repeat: I will not resign,” he announced angrily, wagging his finger, in a brief but televised statement to the nation.Temer’s combative reaction was followed shortly after by street demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia demanding his resignation.”Temer out!” chanted several thousand protesters in Rio, also calling for snap elections.Around 24 hours after an explosive report in O Globo newspaper that said Temer had been caught on tape agreeing to bribe the jailed politician, he faced eight formal requests for his impeachment.There were also signs that his ruling center-right coalition was crumbling, with some allies calling for his resignation. The culture minister, Roberto Freire, resigned and there were indications that the urban affairs minister would follow.Piling on the pressure, the Supreme Court greenlighted a formal investigation into Temer’s alleged involvement with the hush money.There had been speculation that Temer would use his televised address to resign. Instead, the veteran center-right politician — who took over last year with a promise to restore Brazil’s stability after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff — came out swinging.He highlighted signs this week that Brazil’s two-year recession is coming to an end and claimed that “optimism was returning” thanks to a program of austerity reforms that he is trying to pass in Congress.Now “those efforts may come to nothing,” he warned.