Brazilian authorities have
failed to halt nationwide protests, despite reversing the public-transport fare
increases that sparked the unrest.
Crowds blocked main roads in Sao Paulo and
Brasilia, and protesters confronted police in Rio de Janeiro state shortly
after the U-turn was announced.
Earlier, there were clashes before Brazil's
football team played Mexico in Fortaleza in the Confederations Cup.
Protesters are angry at corruption and high
spending on next year's World Cup.
Activists say they have not changed their
intention to hold the biggest demonstrations yet on Thursday.
The BBC's Julia Carneiro, in Sao
Paulo, says hundreds of thousands are expected on the streets there before
another round of matches in the Confederations Cup.
The continued protests come after the authorities
in the two biggest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, said they would
reverse the public-transport fare increases.
Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad said the reversal
would be a "big sacrifice" and said other investments would have to
be cut.
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes made a similar point,
saying the lower transport prices would cost the city 500m reals ($225m; £145m)
a year.
The mayors of Cuiaba, Recife, Joao Pessoa and
other cities have already announced a reduction in bus fares in response to the
protests.
But the protesters were unmoved by the gesture.
"It's not really about the price [of
transport] any more," said 18-year-old student Camila Sena, at a protest
in Rio de Janeiro's sister city of Niteroi.
"People are so disgusted with the system, so
fed up that now we're demanding change."
One demonstration in the city of
Belo Horizonte continued for more than 10 hours
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to
disperse protesters in the north-eastern city of Fortaleza on Wednesday after
at least 30,000 people rallied there.
Clashes erupted when a protest march was stopped
by police. Several people were injured, including police officers.Access to the
stadium was blocked for at least 30 minutes, but police later allowed people to
get in ahead of the game which started at 16:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
The BBC's Ben Smith in Fortaleza says that during
the protest some demonstrators carried banners reading: "A teacher is
worth more than Neymar", in a reference to Brazil's star footballer who
played and scored against Mexico.
Before the match, Neymar spoke in favour of the
protesters, saying in a message on Facebook: "I'm Brazilian and I love my
country. I have a family and friends who live in Brazil. For that reason, I
want a Brazil which is more just, safer, healthier and more honest.
"The only way I can represent and defend
Brazil is on the pitch, playing football. From now on, I will enter the field
inspired by this movement."
Football legend Pele urged demonstrators to end
the protests. "Let's forget all this commotion happening in Brazil, and
let's remember how the Brazilian squad is our country and our blood," he
said.
The current unrest is the biggest since 1992,
when people took to the streets to demand the impeachment of then-President
Fernando Collor de Mello.
Vice-President Michel Temer cut short a visit to
Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday to return to Brazil.
President Dilma Rousseff has said she was proud
that so many people were fighting for a better country.
Many of the demonstrators have complained of the
huge sums spent on construction for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, which
will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro.
The dilemma for the political leadership is how
to answer so many different concerns among a vast group of people with momentum
and social media on their side, correspondents say.
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