Triggered by the increase in bus fares, protests eventually saw hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate on the streets in multiple cities around Brazil. On Avenida Rio Branco, on June 17 2013, perhaps over 100.000 people came out to demonstrate, not just about the bus fare increase, but also over the increased cost of living and the lavish construction of new stadiums in preparation for the 2014 World Cup.
Demonstrations eventually intensified after a harsh police crackdown stunned citizens. In images shared widely on social media, police were seen beating unarmed protesters with batons and dispersing crowds by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into their midst.