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Sunday, September 08, 2013RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — More than 100 protesters interrupted a military parade in Rio yesterday, held to mark Brazil’s Independence Day, and were dispersed with tear gas.Five people were injured and taken to hospital, civil police said, adding that at least 10 protesters were arrested.The protest, one of a series of demonstrations planned yesterday across the country, comes with Brazil in the international spotlight as it prepares to host the football World Cup next year.In June, the country saw massive street protests — which have continued since on a smaller scale — demanding better public services and an end to corruption.In Rio yesterday, the protesters, some masked, entered the downtown avenue where the military was parading, shouting slogans and clashing with police. Security forces fired tear gas, prompting spectators, many of them families with children, to flee the fumes.Police chased several protesters who escaped through side streets, shooting rubber bullets, according to local news site G1. At least one bank branch near the demonstration was vandalised, it added.In a bid to recapture the energy of the June protests, groups have called via social media for demonstrations in 150 cities across the country, including Brasilia, where several hundred people were marching to Congress.“We want better education, political reforms and media democratisation. The June protests served to push Congress to approve measures — we have to keep them alive,” a student demonstrator, Philip Leite, told AFP.BRASILIA, Brazil — A military police officer uses pepper spray on this protester during an Independence Day military parade in Brasilia yesterday. Brazilians are protesting against corruption and poor public services despite a heavy tax burden. (PHOTO: AP)
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Unrest continues in Brazil
