Buses torched, roads blocked: Brazil hit by first general strike in 2 decades

29 April 2017 12:05 PM IST

Protesters lit buses on fire, blocked roads and clashed with police on Friday during a general strike in Brazil.

Protesters lit buses on fire, blocked roads and clashed with police on Friday during a general strike in Brazil.
A woman is carried to an ambulance by the Red Cross after she was injured during clashes that broke out during a general strike protest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The anger over the proposed changes to benefits shows that Temer's government has failed to convince the people that the moves are necessary.
Police fired tear gas while protesters threw stones and lit small fires in the middle of streets.
Some protesters also set up barricades and started fires in the streets, including on roads heading to the main airports in Sao Paulo.
In Sao Paulo, thousands marched toward the home of President Michel Temer, throwing rocks at police.
In Rio de Janeiro, after hours of clashes with police in front of the legislative building, several buses were torched.
It was also a raw display of anger by many Brazilians fed up with corruption and worried about the future amid a deep recession and rising unemployment.
The strike was to protest major changes to labor law and the pension system being considered by Congress.

Protesters lit buses on fire, blocked roads and clashed with police on Friday during a general strike in Brazil.