RIO DE JANEIRO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Brazilians took to the streets on Friday for a nationwide massive protest against the social security reform proposed by the government.
According to local media, there were protests in at least 190 towns in all Brazilian states.
As a full strike was called, buses halted in 19 state capitals, subway and urban train workers in several cities joined the strike, classes were cancelled in public schools and many private schools in at least 23 state capitals, and road blockades were seen in the country.
The protests and strikes were mostly peaceful, with few isolated conflicts.
It is the third massive protest in Brazil in less than six months after President Jair Bolsonaro came to power. Brazilians have already taken the streets to protest against massive cuts in the funding of federal universities.
This time, the strike focused on the social security reform bill which the Bolsonaro administration is placing all its bets.
The government has claimed that the reform is essential to ensuring that Brazil will start growing again, but critics believe that the reform will maintain the privileges of some, such as politicians and the military, while making poor workers much harder to be able to retire.
