Rubber bullets and tear gas pave way for Olympic torch in Rio de Janeiro

Ah, the Olympic torch. A symbol of unity as it spans the globe. A celebration of friendly competition.

Well, except for the part where riot police fire rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd, paving way for the flame through Rio de Janeiro on its way to Friday’s Opening Ceremony.

Protests have plagued the torch’s tour through Brazil, particularly as the procession neared its destination in recent days, when protestors angered over the high cost of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics altered the flame’s route through surrounding cities Itaborai, Sao Goncalo and Niteroi.

[Related: Rio Olympics torch snuffed out by protesters in Brazil]

After arriving Wednesday on a boat from Niteroi to Rio, the flame was scheduled to make its way through the host city for two days before entering Maracana Stadium on Friday. However, more anti-government protestors in the impoverished suburb of Duque de Caxias, dubious of the $12 billion price tag for the Olympics, threw rocks at police and blocked the torch’s path, according to Reuters.

And that’s when riot police reportedly employed pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades to carve a path through the crowd. According to Reuters, at least three people were injured by the rubber bullets, including a 10-year-old girl. So, yeah, they literally poured gas on the fire.

[Related: Half of Brazilians oppose 2016 Rio Games]

Surely the Olympic spirit is alive and well in Rio; you just didn’t find it in Duque de Caxias.

Never fear, though, since Brazilian surfer Rico de Souza is here to brighten up your day. Towed by a jet ski, de Souza ultimately surfed to the shore of Rio’s Macumba beach with the Olympic torch in hand.

And managed to do so without swallowing any water, it seems.

Now that’s the spirit.

Yahoo Sports’ Greg Wyshynski reports live from the streets of Rio:

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Ben Rohrbach

is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach