Police said anti-government protesters in Duque de Caixas, on the north side of the city, threw stones and blocked the path of the torch after its official reception by the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.
Police were reported to have dispersed the crowd with teargas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to clear the way.
Local media reported that three people were injured by rubber bullets, including a 10-year-old girl.
A representative for the local organizing committee called the incident isolated and added that, although the protesters had held up the torch, its route was not changed. A day earlier, in the neighboring cities of Sao Goncalo and Niteroi, the path of the flame had to be changed due to protests.
The torch - at the end of a 20,000-kilometer (12,400-mile) journey - had crossed Guanabara Bay to arrive in Rio itself. Olympic Brazilian sailors ran ashore from a yacht to hand it over to the mayor who took the flame on its first laps through the streets of downtown Rio, before the hold-up.
While the atmosphere in much of the city was largely celebratory, there were signs of dissent even as the flame was paraded. Many see the games as an expensive luxury, amid a national recession. Others are upset at the removal from office of former President Dilma Rousseff, to be replaced by her political enemy Michel Temer.
One of those who ran with the flame was muscian Tarcisio Cissao, who wore the regulation yellow and white relay outfit. However, Cissao had an ulterior motive and pulled down his Olympic shorts to reveal the words "Temer Out."
City under guard
Throughout Rio, armed soldiers stood patrol on highways and on many corners. Some 85,000 police, soldiers and security personnel are to be deployed in Rio. That figure is more than double the amount in London in 2012. The aim is to both deter both violent street crime and reduce the threat of attacks by extremists.
Security forces have been carrying out anti-terrorism drills as early as November - the threat of terrorism has long been a priority in Rio as it prepared to host the 2016 Olympics. Brazilian police have continued to train with foreign forces that have more experience in dealing with such dangers as several other terror attacks took place around the world.
On the eve of the first Games in South America, the security secretary for Rio de Janeiro state, Jose Mariano Beltrame, said the city was "very far from an event of this nature."
Do you know how many medals are up for grabs at the Games? Or how many taxis will be driving around Rio in August? Even if you don't, you must know how many condoms will be dished out at the Olympic Village. Right?
Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/L. Souza15,000: It's the biggest sporting event in the world. There are likely to be around 10,500 athletes competing in Rio in August with about 4,500 more arriving for the Paralympics the next month. The reason these numbers are inexact is because of the doping cloud hanging over the participation of Russians and Kenyans.
206: As with the number of athletes, it's currently unclear exactly how many countries will be at the opening ceremony on August 5. This time it's Kuwait whose participation is in doubt, with a case currently being heard in a Swiss court. But with Kosovo and South Sudan set to make their Olympic bow, the number is likely to be a record 206 countries.
3: To the untrained eye it may not be immediately obvious but the 2016 Olympic logo represents three people holding each others hands. It also incorporates views of the Sugar Loaf mountain from Botafogo Bay. Meanwhile, green, yellow and blue stand for nature, the sun and the sea. These are also the colors of the Brazilian flag. Finally, the slogan: Passion and transformation.
28: From badminton to basketball, there are a total of 28 sports in this year's Games. While baseball and softball have been ditched, golf will make a long-awaited Olympic comeback while rugby sevens will be in the Games for the first time.
44: The German Olympics team will be hoping to top their total of 44 medals from the 2012 Olympics, when they finished fifth on the medal table. Of the 528 medals Germany have won at the Games, 306 have been gold - 161 of them have been won by men and 136 by women.
38.7bn: Few people will be surprised to read that the Olympics have come in significantly over budget. Latest estimates from the Rio organizing committee estimate the cost to stand at 38.7 billion reais (around nine billion euros). The over-spend has caused ructions in a city already struggling financially.
450,000: There may have been one or two complaints but housing 10,000 people isn't easy. The Olympic Village has a total of 34,000 beds ready to go . There are 72,000 tables , 100,000 chairs and 60,000 hangers. And, of course, there will be 450,000 free condoms - one record that's been broken before the opening ceremony.
6,453,682: Nearly six and a half million people live in Rio according to the last census. They - and the thousands of visitors who will arrive in the city in August will get to pick from 33,000 taxis. How much time they will spend in traffic is anybody's guess.
jm/rc (AFP, Reuters)
