00:50Brazil: Oil field protesters pushed back with tear gas
Brazil: Oil field protesters pushed back with tear gas
Mass protests hailed the opening of an auction of one of the world's largest offshore oil fields in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, with police firing tear gas volleys and plastic bullets to break up a march of hundreds of demonstrators. Five protesters were taken to hospital sporting injuries.
Sun-worshippers at the Barra da Tijuca beach were caught up in the toxic clouds as police lines protected President Dilma Rousseff, who took refuge inside the Windsor Hotel. Over 1,000 soldiers were deployed in front of the hotel, where Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) opened the auction.
The sale of drilling rights to the huge offshore Libra field has been met with fierce opposition from oil workers and citizens who see the move as privatisation of Brazil's national oil wealth. On Thursday, oil workers launched a strike against the sale, disrupting production at more than 40 oil platforms and major refineries.
00:50Brazil: Oil field protesters pushed back with tear gas
Mass protests hailed the opening of an auction of one of the world's largest offshore oil fields in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, with police firing tear gas volleys and plastic bullets to break up a march of hundreds of demonstrators. Five protesters were taken to hospital sporting injuries.
Sun-worshippers at the Barra da Tijuca beach were caught up in the toxic clouds as police lines protected President Dilma Rousseff, who took refuge inside the Windsor Hotel. Over 1,000 soldiers were deployed in front of the hotel, where Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) opened the auction.
The sale of drilling rights to the huge offshore Libra field has been met with fierce opposition from oil workers and citizens who see the move as privatisation of Brazil's national oil wealth. On Thursday, oil workers launched a strike against the sale, disrupting production at more than 40 oil platforms and major refineries.