Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in more than a dozen cities across Brazil, angry about government corruption, high taxes and poor social services, despite heavy spending ahead of next year's World Cup and the Olympics in 2016.

The protests began earlier this month as localized demonstrations in response to a hike in bus fares in Sao Paolo. But heavy-handed police tactics injured hundreds of people and galvanized support for the protesters and their grievances.

Infrastructure in much of Brazil is poor, violence is high, the police are violent and the tax burden is onerous. In 2007, the government promised preparations for the World Cup would be paid for through private donations. Now, 90 percent of the $14.5 billion price tag for the event has come from taxpayer funds, money the protesters say would be better spent on public projects.

Tickets to the games cost far more than the average Brazilian can afford, as more than one-fifth of the population lives in poverty.

The protesters have been mostly peaceful, though there has been some vandalism, but the police overreaction could lead to retaliation. Public support is now behind the protesters, and their ranks are swelling as previously non-political Brazilians take to the streets.

On Monday, more than 200,000 people marched through the streets of Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo and the capital, Brasilia.

Currently, Brazil is hosting the Confederation's Cup, a worldwide soccer tournament widely seen as a precursor to the World Cup. Next month, the country will host 2 million visitors from around the world during the first visit by Pope Francis, who may have some interesting comments about the protests and the country's economic inequality.

For now, the protesters' demands are vague, and the demonstrations are acting as an outlet for frustrations about the country's governance. President Dilma Rousseff, who is up for reelection next year, was a leftist guerilla in her youth, so she has so far been supportive of the protesters' right to express themselves.

But it remains to be seen whether their grievances will be settled with ballots or bullets.