Brazilian police have fired tear gas at protesting teachers demanding better working conditions.
The rally, held in the capital Brasilia on Monday, began peacefully but turned violent when police resorted to using tear gas and stun guns to disperse the crowds.
The advocates of the protesting teachers say that there is a shortage of at least 300,000 primary school teachers in the country, leading to overcrowded classes and a weak learning environment.
Brazil has seen anti-government rallies since June, with protesters demanding more public spending on schools, public health, and transportation.
The protests were triggered after authorities announced plans to raise public transport prices by nearly 10 percent. The demonstrations spread after police used rubber bullets, stink bombs, and pepper spray against the protesters.
In addition, Brazilians have been angered by the lavish costs of the two major sporting events of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, as the government has allocated over USD 26 billion of public money to the events.
The nationwide protests caused President Dilma Rousseff™s approval rating to tumble to a mere 30 percent at the end of June from 57 percent prior to the eruption of the protests.
Rousseff™s government has vowed to meet the protesters™ demands and has since then approved a law that would reserve 75 percent of oil royalties for education and 25 percent for healthcare.
However, protesters have been skeptical of the pledges made by the government and the organizers of the Monday protest say they will continue until concrete changes are made.
CAH/HN/HJL
Copyright: Press TV