SAO PAULO | Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:14pm EDT
(Reuters) - A backlash against Brazil's nationwide protests took hold on Friday after widespread rioting overnight, as even the leftist group at the movement's core said it was done organizing marches for now because of growing discord and violence.
President Dilma Rousseff held an emergency meeting with top aides after 1 million people in over 100 cities took to the streets. But there was still no word from her or her ministers by midafternoon, highlighting how there may be no easy response to unrest that has taken the country by surprise and contributed to a selloff in local financial markets.
Sporadic protests flared again on Friday, although they were much smaller than Thursday's marches. Additional demonstrations were likely prior to a Brazil versus Italy soccer game on Saturday, part of a warm-up event for next year's World Cup, while groups were exchanging proposals on Facebook and elsewhere to schedule possible protests early next week.
The unrest blossomed over the past week as Brazilians, frustrated by a range of problems from corruption to poor public transport, responded to calls on social media and took part in the country's biggest demonstrations in 20 years.
