Massive rallies continued into the night in Brazil’s Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Sao Paolo and dozens of other major cities following a hike in transport fares, media report.
Across Brazil police estimated about 60,000 demonstrators to have gathered in downtown Belo Horizonte, 30,000 shut down a main business avenue in Sao Paulo and another 30,000 rallied in the city in southern Brazil where a nightclub fire killed over 240 mostly university students.
Demonstrators took to the streets in the cities hosting Confederations Cup matches despite President Dilma Rousseff’s plea for peace as she vowed to introduce a package of reforms, including a draft plan to benefit public transport and allocate all oil royalties to education.
A crowd reportedly tried to break through a perimeter set by the police around Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao stadium, where Mexico and Japan faced off in the Confederations Cup. The trouble escalated after dark when car dealers had windows broken, some shops were looted and protesters set fire to a car and several other objects on the streets.
Continue
