Hundreds of people were detained across Brazil overnight Friday in fresh clashes between police and youths protesting an increase in mass transit fares on the eve of the Confederations Cup.
The worst violence was in Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital and most populous city, where 232 people were detained following running battles in the city center, a police spokesman said. Most of those held were later released.
Twelve police were hurt during the unrest, he added, while press reports said more than 100 people were injured in the police crackdown.
The Sao Paulo protests, which began last week, have been spearheaded by the Free Pass Movement, which is opposed to a recent increase in bus, metro and train ticket prices from $1.50 to $1.60 and wants free transport for students. The group has called for another mass demonstration on Monday.
In Rio, one of the six host cities for the Confederations Cup, which kicks off on Saturday, around 20 people were detained late Thursday following a demonstration by 2,000 people, mainly students, to demand lower bus fares.
Smaller protests over the same issue were also held in Porto Alegre, where 23 people were detained and seven hurt, Curitiba, Natal and Maceio.
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