The protest in favor of teachers on strike in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, October 7, resulted in clashes between police and masked anarchists who caused severe damages to buildings in the Brazilian city.
According to information published by Milenio, the protest programmed for last Monday was discretely attended by police units, but at nightfall, when the protesters arrived at the Municipal Council, many masked suspects, known as "Black Blocs" began carrying out violent actions.
On Río Blanco Avenue, a bus was set on fire, while the facades of many banks were destroyed and barricades were built by the protesters who were dispersed with tear gas, according to the newspaper.
According to reports by newspaper La Nación, the biggest clash took place when protesters attempted to invade the seat of the legislative palace in Rio, when they set the bus on fire and looted businesses.
Monday's protest was scheduled on social networks in support of the teachers' strike which began two months ago when teachers demanded better pay and career plans. The Brazilian teachers' union estimates that around 50 thousand people joined the protests, while the police estimates it was closer to 10 thousand people, according to Milenio.
What are Black Blocs?
A growing global trend comprised of masked young men that join the protests to carry out violent acts has caught the attention of the international media.
According to a report published by the BBC, the intentions and motivations of this black-clad are not clear.
The news agency reports that the Black Blocs are a group hard to classify. Despite being considered "anarchists", not all of them share that philosophical posture. On the other hand, this group, with its respective differences, has appeared in anti-globalization protests throughout the world, in the United States, Greece, Egypt and Mexico.
They're difficult to classify because they're not tied to a social or professional sector. They organize and socialize mainly on the Internet, which makes them unpredictable and hard to identify.
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