ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
With Brazil set to face Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday (June 19), thousands of protesters took to the streets in the northeastern city of Fortaleza where the game is set to kickoff at 4:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).
A police source estimated the demonstrators to number close to 15,000 in the latest protest to sweep the South American country over the past two weeks - just as the FIFA event was getting underway.
The marches started after a hike in public transport fares, but have grown to encompass a number grievances over education budgets, the quality of public services, and the high cost of staging the Confederations and World Cups.
Police fired tear gas on protesters in Fortaleza despite calls for restraint.
In Sao Paulo demonstrators blocked a major highway and other roads, crippling transportation in Brazil's largest city and financial hub.
Burning tires and debris caused havoc in the city's alre