• Teachers forced temporary halt and runner bussed away • Stretch of torch relay route in Rio was missed out

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Olympic organisers put deadlines ahead of lives, claims Rio labour inspector Read more

The Olympic torch relay was disrupted by striking teachers after it entered Rio de Janeiro ahead of next week’s Opening Ceremony. Video footage of the demonstration suggests the flame was extinguished while the runner carrying the torch had to be bussed to safety.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday night in Angra dos Reis, forced a temporary halt and prompted some runners to quit the relay, according to the Rio2016 organising committee.

Protesters also stoned cars and police responded with tear gas and pepper spray. One child was injured and had to be hospitalised according to local media.

To avoid further problems, a stretch of the relay was missed out.



A Rio 2016 spokesman, Philip Wilkinson, explained there is a back-up of eight lanterns. “The torch often goes out and is relit. The flame is never extinguished.”

The demonstration was staged by striking teachers, who are angry at not being paid for two months as a result of the near bankruptcy of the Rio state government.

Their action raises the risk that - as at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 - the torch relay could become a focus of discontent towards the host government.



Public frustration is high as a result of the worst recession in decades. This week, the government announced that average wages have fallen by more than 4% over the past year, while the number of unemployed in Brazil has grown by 37%.



Support for the Olympics has plunged. Recent surveys by the country’s two biggest polling companies Datafolha and Ibope suggest half of the public is opposed to the Olympics and 60% believe it will bring more harm than good. Twenty percent of tickets are still unsold.



The outer of the torch’s two flames, has gone out on numerous other occasions as a result of wind, rain and protests, notably in Paris in 2008 when anti-Beijing rallies forced the cancellation of the last leg of the relay in the city.