Mass demonstrations swept across Brazil last night as hundreds of thousands of protesters from across the country flooded more than 100 cities after lowered transport fares and promises of better public services failed to stem the tide of discontent in Latin America's biggest country.

After more than a week of the largest protests here in over two decades, demonstrators showed no signs of letting up and turned up in their largest numbers from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to regional cities including Florianopolis in the south to Recife and Belem in the north.

Demonstrators called more to join their movement chanting "Vem pra rua, vem" which translates to "Come, to the street, come," one of the main rallying cries they have used as the movement ballooned.

The persistence of the protests reflects a host of complaints about high taxes, inflation, corruption and poor public services, from hospitals and schools to roads and police forces.

Most demonstrators called for the masses to remain peaceful, but some scuffled with police in Rio, Belem, Brasilia and other cities.

In Rio police used tear gas to clear crowds.

In the capital city of Brasilia demonstrators waving flags and carrying protest signs took to a reflective pool in front of the congress building where thousands had gathered.

Some of the most violent protests of the night were seen in northern cities including Salvador, which was hosting a Confederations Cup match between Uruguay and Nigeria.

Police there used tear gas to disperse crowds and a group of demonstrators set a city bus alight.

The ongoing demonstrations, which have been mostly non-violent, are made up primarily of middle-class, well-educated Brazilians.

The unrest comes as Brazil, after nearly a decade-long economic boom in which the country's profile soared on the global stage, enters a period of uncertainty.