The demonstrators, many wearing tribal outfits, sang, danced and beat drums under the long veranda roof outside the sleek Palacio do Planalto building where President Michel Temer has his offices.

Police with batons and Tasers blocked off the entrance.

The protesters included members of indigenous groups who want the government to officially recognize the borders of their ancestral lands, so that they can be protected against ever-encroaching farmers. They also protested laws that would give foreign buyers access to their lands.

Temer, who came to power in August after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff, had vowed to impose sweeping austerity reforms and business-friendly measures to try and drag Brazil out of recession.