Brazil unrest: 'Million' join anti-government protests
Julia Carneiro "It is not yet known how this will end"
More
than a million people are reported to have taken part in protests in
about 100 cities across Brazil, the latest in a wave of anti-government
rallies.
Violence erupted in many places and an 18-year-old man died when a car drove through a barricade in Sao Paulo state.Protests began more than a week ago over high transport fares but are also highlighting corruption and the cost of next year's football World Cup.
President Dilma Rousseff called off a trip to Japan to deal with the crisis.
The BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paulo says this is an indication of the seriousness of the situation.
Mrs Rousseff has also called an emergency meeting of her cabinet for Friday to discuss the unrest.
The newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, citing official figures, said that more than one million people had taken part in Thursday's demonstrations.
Brazilian media said there were protests in more than 100 cities.
Riot police in Salvador fired against protesters near the city stadium
Rio authorities sealed off the state legislature building, the state governor's office, Guanabara Palace and the mayor's office.
TV images showed gangs looting shops in the city centre - although many Rio shopkeepers and banks had put up wooden hoardings to protect their premises.
In the capital, Brasilia, demonstrators started a small fire at the entrance to the foreign ministry and were driven back by police using rubber bullets and tear gas.
Other government buildings in the city were attacked and riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds. About 26 people were reported injured.
There were also clashes outside a football stadium in Salvador ahead of a Confederations Cup match between Nigeria and Uruguay.
More clashes were reported in Porto Alegre in the south, Campinas north of Sao Paulo and in the north-eastern city of Salvador.
The 18-year-old man killed in the
city of Ribeirao Preto was the first person reported to have died in
the protests. The motorist who drove through the barricade is said to
have fled the scene.
In Sao Paulo, police said 100,000 people had gathered on the city's landmark Avenida Paulista. Members of the city's Free Access Movement (Movimento Passe Livre) - which has been campaigning for better public transport - earlier pledged to take to the streets "to celebrate" the reversal of a public-transport fare increase.
The protests, originally triggered by the increase on 2 June, have since grown into a much wider movement.
Protesters are angry at corruption and poor public services as well as the huge cost of next year's football World Cup, saying the government should also invest in education and healthcare.
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