Protests hit Brazil's biggest cities, adding to unrest

[Bacchus4.0]

http://news.yahoo.com/protests-hit-brazils-biggest-cities-adding-unrest-141903681.html

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Small but violent protests in several Brazilian cities this week have added to a sense of growing unrest in Brazil at a time when inflation, crime and President Dilma Rousseff's popularity are all taking a turn for the worse.

An estimated 5,000 protesters, including many university students, blocked main avenues and vandalized buildings in central Sao Paulo, causing traffic chaos for the fourth time in eight days on Thursday. When police tried to disperse the crowd, violence erupted, injuring dozens and leading to nearly 200 arrests.

Demonstrations also were held in Rio de Janeiro and the southern city of Porto Alegre, raising the prospect they could spread as Brazil prepares to host soccer's Confederations Cup - a warm-up event for next year's World Cup - for two weeks starting on Saturday.

Police have taken an increasingly hard line against the protests, firing rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring several bystanders and journalists covering the demonstrations. One widely circulated image showed police firing pepper spray at a TV cameraman filming the protests in Sao Paulo.

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. This is very important. n/t

-Laelth

[Socialistlemur]

2. Result of stagflation

They have a fairly high inflation rate and low economic growth. But this is limited to a small sector which has been penetrated by professionals trying to destabilize the government. I do think the police were a bit over the top.