People march during a protest against bus fare hikes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Jan. 8, 2016. The march, which is also taking place in other Brazilian capitals, began peacefully in downtown Rio de Janeiro but turned violent. AP Photo
SAO PAULO, Brazil—Brazilian riot police clashed with masked protesters on Friday in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro during angry demonstrations against higher transport fares, officials and witnesses said.
A hike in fares was one of the main drivers of the mass demonstrations that roiled Brazil in 2013, in one of the most serious threats to President Dilma Rousseff, who is under renewed pressure over a badly faltering economy and a billion-dollar corruption scandal.
Friday’s protest in Sao Paulo, which drew about 1,000 people, started peacefully and remained so for the duration of the rally.
But it descended into violence when some of the young demonstrators threw stones and lit makeshift barricades made of trash and wood, an AFP photographer said.
Police responded by firing a noxious gas.
However, that failed to deter protesters, who vandalized newsstands and a bank, Sao Paulo military police said on Twitter, adding that officers were injured although it did not say how many.
In Sao Paulo the price of a fare on public transport will rise Saturday from 3.50 reais to 3.80 reais ($0.87 to $0.94).
Officials have defended the increase, saying it is below the rate of inflation.
Similar scenes unfolded in Rio, where the hike is slightly steeper.
The rally there was also mostly peaceful until towards the end, when demonstrators clashed with police.
A protest in the city of Belo Horizonte went off peacefully.
The huge demonstrations in 2013, which drew millions to the streets all over the country, began with disquiet over transport fare hikes and escalated into broader protests over corruption and the cost of staging the 2014 football World Cup.
RELATED STORIES
Brazil protesters clash with police in Sao Paulo
Brazil shaken by largest protests in 20 years