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Rio fare protesters seize main station and let commuters travel free

Watts, Jonathan
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/07/rio-fare-protesters-seize-main-station-and-let-commuters-travel-free

Publisher:  The Guardian
Date Written:  07/02/2014
Year Published:  2014  
Resource Type:  Article

Watts discusses the economic and political impetus for the seizure of Rio de Janeiro's transit stations by the public in a protest against rising fare prices.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

The station in downtown Rio echoed with police percussion grenades and the protesters' celebratory samba drumming as they seized control of the main bank of ticket machines.

Close to a thousand people joined the passe livre (free pass) march, sparked by the announcement by the city mayor, Eduardo Paes, that bus fires will rise from 2.75 reais to 3 reais (£0.75/US$1.25) on Saturday.

That may seem cheap compared with London or New York. But for a daily commuter on a minimum monthly wages of 724 reais a month it leaves transport costs at more than a sixth of income.
Bus price rises were the spark for massive protests that expanded to cover dozens of other issues and brought more than a million people on to the streets of 80 cities in Brazil in June 2013. At the time the ticket hikes were postponed but the issue is once again on the agenda.

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