In Rio de Janeiro, protesters lit fires on a major bridge, disrupting commuter traffic, while police also used tear gas to force a small crowd of them from outside the main bus station. Many banks were shut. Much of the city was unaffected, however, with private businesses such as cafes and shops opening normally and most transportation running as usual.
In the capital Brasilia and in Belo Horizonte, another major city, the metro systems were completely closed down. Curitiba, the city where Brazil's huge "Operation Car Wash" anti-corruption investigation is based, was left without bus services, as was the big north-eastern city of Recife. Unions and leftwing organizations called for a general strike to oppose center right President Michel Temer's push for a sharp reduction in pension benefits and other austerity reforms.
Temer says the reforms are needed for Brazil to escape a two year recession that has driven investors out of the once booming emerging market. But with unemployment hitting another record high Friday - at 13.7 percent - many Brazilians say ordinary people shouldn't have to pay the price. "We can't keep quiet anymore with a government that is not legitimate, which wasn't elected to dismantle the rights of workers," said Ricardo Jacques, a striking bank employee in Sao Paulo. The strike appeared to be having greatest effect in heavily unionised parts of the economy, including transportation, schools, the post office and some hospital staff.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017