TEMPO.CO, Sao Paulo – A street demonstration Brazil's largest city of Sao Paulo went violent on Thursday, June 19, 2014, after anti-government protesters vandalized cars and banks, forcing the police to respond with tear gas.
Reuters reported that the protest turned violent in roughly 25 kilometers away of a venue of a World Cup game between England and Uruguay.
The protest started peacefully when about 1,300 people commemorated the one-year anniversary of successful efforts to prevent a transit fare strike. Later, some protesters began breaking windows of stores and caused small fire.
Television images also showed a group of masked men spraying paints on parked cars, set off firework rockets and damaged public facilities. To prevent more violent acts, police responded with tear gas.
A wave of protests has drawn hundreds of thousands of Brazilians into the streets to express their complaints, including poor public services, corruption and the Brazilian government's excessive spending on the 2014 World Cup.
ANINGTIAS JATMIKA | REUTERS
