Police fire tear gas at World Cup protest

Police in the Brazilian capital have fired tear gas on Tuesday to break up a protest by Indian chiefs, homeless people and others opposed to the money being spent to host the World Cup.

Riot police in Brasilia broke up a group of about 1000 protesters, including children and the elderly, marching peacefully towards the city's World Cup stadium.

After the tear gas was fired, some Indians could be seen throwing stones at police.

Protesters also continued to block roads around the capital's iconic government plaza, where the congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court are located.

Earlier, about 500 indigenous leaders wearing traditional clothing scaled the congress building and installed themselves on the roof in a protest they said was aimed at protecting their rights.

Indians in Brazil have staged a series of protests in recent months, accusing President Dilma Rousseff's government of slowing the demarcation of their ancestral lands and creating policies that favour large-scale farming.