Demos held in scores of Brazil cities

Brazilians have staged demonstrations in scores of cities across the country, demanding better public services and complaining over the spending to hold the World Cup.

On Thursday, protests were organized in more than 80 cities across the country.

In Salvador, the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, thousands of protesters gathered on Campo Grande square and chanted “Come fight for more changes” and “Football above rights: Why, Dilma?”

Thousands of protestors also thronged the streets of the northeastern city of Recife and in Sao Paulo, demonstrators assembled on the city’s main road, Avenida Paulista.

Demonstrators in the capital Brasilia also staged a huge rally under the slogan “Brazil, Wake Up”.

Reports say some 3-hundred thousand people gathered in Rio de Janeiro.

Clashes reportedly broke once again between protesters and police. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters in the northeastern city of Salvador and scuffles broke out in other cities including Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.

The increasing pressure on the government of President Dilma Rousseff forced her to cancel her trip to Japan on June 26-28 as planned for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“She has ultimately decided to postpone this trip, which would have involved several days of travel. She has decided to stay in Brazil due to current events,” a source in her office said.

The protests were triggered after authorities announced plans earlier this month to raise public transport prices by nearly 10 percent. The demonstrations spread after police used rubber bullets, stink bombs, and pepper spray against protesters.

On Wednesday, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad and Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin said they reversed an increase in bus and subway fares, The Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, protests continued across Brazil on Wednesday. The government deployed special federal police to the five of the six cities where the Confederations Cup football tournament is being played to protect the competition’s venues.

On Monday, as many as 100,000 Brazilians reportedly gathered in at least seven cities to protest against the country’s poor public services, government corruption, and police violence. They also voiced anger over the high cost of staging the 2014 World Cup due in Brazil.