Police clashed with protesters trying to get near the stadium where Brazil will play Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday and at least four police officers and a demonstrator were injured.
Riot police used gas bombs and pepper spray to keep protesters from advancing past a barrier some 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away from the Arena Castelao in the northeastern city of Fortaleza.
A police car was burned by the demonstrators, who also threw rocks and other objects at the officers. The protest disrupted fans' efforts to access the stadium for Brazil's second match at the World Cup warm-up tournament.
Police vehicles were seen carrying injured officers away from the protest and into ambulances standing by.
Doctor Doya Junior said one protester and four policemen were treated for minor injuries after being hit by rocks. He said there could be more people injured who had been being taken to different treatment centers set up near the stadium.
There were several ambulances on standby in front of the stadium and many were going back and forth to where the confrontation was taking place.
Authorities estimated 15,000 people participated in the protest organized by several local groups complaining about local government and demanding better public services. It comes as part of a wave of demonstrations across Brazil in recent days.
''We are against a government which spends billions in stadiums while people are suffering across the country,'' said Natalia Querino, a 22-year-old student participating in the protest. ''We want better education, more security and a better health system.''
Fellow student Marina Coelho, 21, held a banner that read: ''If they don't stop stealing from us, we will stop the country!''
The protesters gathered early and blocked the main access road to the Arena Castelao. Police were forced to divert traffic away from the road, and official FIFA vehicles were among those struggling to get to the venue for the group stage match.
Nearly 240,000 people marched in 10 Brazilian cities on Monday to call for improvements in basic services such as public transportation, schools and hospitals. The protests began because of a demand for lower bus fares last week, but demonstrations expanded as people experience the burden of high taxes and high prices but receiving low-quality services in a system of government rife with corruption and inefficiency.
The protests are turning into the most significant demonstrations in Brazil since the end of the country's 1964-85 military dictatorship, when crowds rallied to demand the return of democracy. It's reminiscent of the early 1990s nationwide movement to call for the impeachment of then-president Fernando Collor de Melo following corruption allegations and unpopular economic measures.
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