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Five days after the city of Sao Paulo increased public bus, metro and train tariffs from R$3.80 (US$1.17) to R$4 (US$1.24), members of the Free Pass Movement, MPL, have clashed with police throughout this evening as part of a large protest over fare hikes for city buses.
The march began at Ramos de Azevedo Square in front of the Municipal Theater in the center of Sao Paulo, nearby City Hall.
“They want us to pay even higher prices for something we should not already be paying and we can't sit back passively as they raise the price again,” read a message on MPL's Facebook page. Close to 9,000 people have signed up to participate in the protest as of last night. The route taken by the demonstrators has yet to be revealed.
Policía militar reprime manifestantes en protesta contra el@aumento del pasaje https://t.co/qRNgeeA1a2
— Nacho Lemus (@LemusteleSUR) January 11, 2018
Protestors in 15 other cities across six states — including Goias, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro — also took to the streets to express their discontent with tariff hikes and planned hikes in public transportation, according to Exame Abril.
The MPL protest follows on the heels of several sporadic demonstrations against the tariff increase in Sao Paulo.
On Tuesday, a group of protesters set several tires on fire, closing off part of Avenida Nove de Julho, a main thoroughfare in Sao Paulo,
according to Revista Forum.
Una hora después de la protesta manifestantes y otros pasajeros aún no podían volver a sus casas porque la Policía Militar temía un #Catracaço, es decir: que entren en el metro sin pagar. pic.twitter.com/xQhdDJbFmU
— Nacho Lemus (@LemusteleSUR) January 12, 2018
The Engineering and Traffic Company, CET, noted that the protest blocked two lanes as well as the bus corridor. Marcelo Menna Barreto, a consultant in the Department of Communications and International Relations, said the demonstrators hoisted a banner on the footbridge in front of the Geulio Vargas Foundation that read, “R$4 Never.”
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