Up to 200,000 people have taken to the streets in Brazil’s biggest cities as a demonstration against rising transport costs spread across the country.
In some of the biggest protests in 20 years, people from all walks of life displayed their anger at paying high taxes for poor services.
Police and protesters clashed in Rio de Janeiro, but the demonstrations were largely peaceful. In the capital, Brasilia, people breached security at the National Congress building and scaled its roof.
The protests were sparked by an increase in the price of a single bus fare in Sao Paulo from 3 reals (£0.90) to 3.20. A march in Sao Paulo ensued but images emerged of police beating demonstrators and firing rubber bullets into the crowd, triggering further protests.
Public opinion has turned against hosting the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, saying the country cannot afford it, while people are tired of paying high taxes for poor transportation, health services, education and security.
It is the biggest mass protest since the end of Brazil’s 1964-85 dictatorship. It comes after the opening matches of soccer’s Confederations Cup over the weekend and just one month before a papal visit.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub, at least 65,000 protesters gathered Monday at a small, treeless plaza then broke into three directions in a Carnival atmosphere, with drummers beating out samba rhythms as people chanted anti-corruption jingles.
Officers in Rio fired tear gas and rubber bullets when a group of protesters invaded the state legislative assembly and hurled rocks and flares at police. But most of the tens of thousands who protested in Rio did so peacefully, many of them dressed in white and brandishing placards and banners.
In Belo Horizonte, police estimated about 20,000 people took part in a peaceful protest before a Confederations Cup match between Tahiti and Nigeria. Earlier in the day, demonstrators erected several barricades of burning tires on a nearby highway, disrupting traffic.
Protests also were reported in Curitiba, Belem and Salvador.
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There were also protests in the cities of Vitoria, Novo Hamburgo, Belem and Maceio, where a student was reportedly shot in the face by a motorist angry with a crowd that blocked the road.
Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo warned protesters that the authorities would not allow them to disrupt the Confederations Cup or next year’s World Cup.
“The government assumed the responsibility and the honour to stage these two international events and will do so, ensuring the security and integrity of the fans and tourists,” he said.
