Police throw tear gas at protest outside Rio opening ceremony

Unrest is taking place outside the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

Unrest is taking place outside the Maracaña stadium outside of the Olympic opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

Protestors burned a Brazilian flag in the streets, Buzzfeed reported on Facebook live, leading to conflict between police and protestors and the use of tear gas.

A protest reportedly dubbed the “Exclusion Games” took place outside the stadium. Demonstrations took place throughout the day in Rio, including an apparently separate one on the Copacabana beach.

The Washington Post reported the use of police tactics including tear gas and rubber bullets in recent days in local towns in response to smaller protests.

Brazil’s recession and state of civil unrest has been heavily documented in the buildup to the games.