Brazil President Pledges to Hold Dialogue with Protesters

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff promised on Friday to hold a dialogue with members of a protest movement in the country, but also said she would do whatever is necessary to maintain order in the wake of widespread vandalism and looting.

“We cannot live with this violence that shames Brazil,” she said in a nationally televised address. “All institutions and public security forces should prevent, within the limits of the law, every form of violence and vandalism.”

Rousseff, a former guerrilla who herself protested a military rule during the 1960s, praised the peaceful majority of protesters and said she would listen to their demands.

Speaking calmly but firmly, she said Brazil has a “historic opportunity” to harness the energy from the protests and make improvements. But she warned the movement could be ruined by violence like that seen on Thursday, when protesters smashed buildings, looted stores and set fires in a dozen cities.

Rousseff said it was her “obligation to listen to the voice of the streets, as well as dialogue with all segments” of society peacefully protesting.

Friday’s protests were much smaller than those on Thursday, according to Reuters. There were signs of a backlash against the movement on Friday, and one prominent leftist group said it would stop organizing marches for now because of discord and violence.

The recent protests in Brazil erupted on June 2. The demonstrations were against hikes in transport fare – from three to 3.20 reals ($1.38 to $1.47).