Riot police have fired tear gas and pepper spray at protesters who obstructed the route of the Olympic flame through a poor neighbourhood of Rio.<br /><br /> In a neighbouring district hundreds of people also protested about the unpaid salaries of public workers in Rio state.<br /><br /> There have been numerous “anti-torch” protests by Brazilians angry that the billions of dollars spent on the Olympic Games could have been used to tackle poverty instead.<br /><br /> Brazil is experiencing a deep recession and suffers from a large inequality gap between the rich and poor. It also suffers from high levels of crime.<br /><br /> Last month Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes criticised city officials, saying that the police would be unable to cope with the violent crime that has made Rio infamous.<br /><br /> The government is deploying additional police as well as soldiers to beef up security and has reassured visitors that Rio will be safe for them to visit.<br />
