SAO PAULO - Leaders in Brazil’s two biggest cities said Wednesday that they have reversed an increase in bus and subway fares that ignited protests across the nation.
However, many doubted the move would help abate the demonstrations that have moved well beyond the anger over the fare increases into communal cries against poor public services in Latin America’s biggest nation.
“This will represent a big sacrifice, and we will have to reduce investments in other areas,” Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad said. He didn’t give details on where other cuts would occur.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes also confirmed that the fare increase would be rescinded in that city.
Street demonstrations continued in some parts of Brazil, including Rio’s sister city of Niteroi, as protesters demand improvements of the public services they receive in exchange for high taxes and rising prices.
In one of several protests, about 200 people blocked the Anchieta Highway that links Sao Paulo, the country’s biggest city, and the port of Santos before heading to the industrial suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo on Sao Paulo’s outskirts. Another group of protesters later obstructed the highway again.
In the northeastern city of Fortaleza, some 15,000 protesters clashed with police trying to prevent them from reaching the Castelao stadium where Brazil was to play Mexico in the Confederations Cup soccer tournament Wednesday.
Riot police used gas bombs and pepper spray to keep protesters from advancing past a barrier nearly 2 miles away from venue. A police car was burned by the demonstrators, who also threw rocks and other objects at the officers. The protest disrupted fans’ efforts to access the stadium for Brazil’s second match at the warmup tournament for the World Cup, which Brazil is to host next year.
“We are against a government which spends billions in stadiums while people are suffering across the country,” said Natalia Querino, a 22-year old student participating in the protest. “We want better education, more security and a better health system.”
Earlier, hundreds of protesters cut off the main access road to the stadium, and police responded by diverting traffic away from the road. Official vehicles of tournament organizers FIFA were among those struggling to reach the stadium.
In the city of Belo Horizonte, some 2,000 protesters took to the streets in a peaceful demonstration, while others were reported to be gathering in Niteroi, across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro.
The actions followed another night of mass marches around Brazil. Beginning as protests against bus-fare increases, the demonstrations have quickly ballooned to include anger over the failure of governments to provide basic services and ensure public safety, even as the country’s economy modernizes and tax rates remain among the highest in the world.
Protest organizers, who have widely employed social media, called for demonstrations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro today. In Rio, protesters planned to march to Maracana stadium where Spain and Tahiti will meet in a Confederations Cup match. Police have said they would not allow protesters to interrupt the game.
Fortaleza, Rio, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Brasilia have received soldiers from Brazil’s elite National Force to bolster security during tournament games.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged protesters Wednesday to stop linking their anger against the government to the Confederations Cup. The cost of building stadiums for the FIFA tournaments has been a regular complaint at marches.
In an interview with Brazil’s Globo TV network broadcast, Blatter said he could “understand that people are not happy, but they should not use football to make their demands heard.”
Blatter added: “We did not impose the World Cup on Brazil.”
On Tuesday night, tens of thousands of Brazilians flooded central Sao Paulo, with the protest following the rhythm of mobilizations that drew some 240,000 people across Brazil the previous night. Though mostly peaceful, small bands of people split off in Sao Paulo to fight with police.
Fernando Grella Vieira, head of the Sao Paulo state public safety department, said 63 people were detained during Tuesday’s protests. He told the Globo TV network Wednesday that police would guarantee the right to demonstrate but would “repress all forms of vandalism.” Information for this article was contributed by Jenny Barchfield, Rob Harris, Marco Sibaja, Tales Azzoni and Jill Langlois of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 06/20/2013