Olympic torch relay sees protesters doused with tear gas

After arriving in the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro by boat following a three-month tour of Brazilian cities, the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, carried the olympic torch on its first few laps through the city centre.

However, in the north of the city, the torch relay was challenged by hundreds of demonstrators angry at the high cost of hosting the Games.

According to the BBC, riot police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

The police reportedly told local media that a group of people refused to leave one lane of the road open for the torch as had been agreed earlier and blocked the street in one place. Thus, they said, they had to intervene to contain the chaos and clear the road.

Brazil is in the grip of a deep recession and political crisis, and further protests are expected ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday.

Organisers say more than a million tickets remain unsold.