Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday against oil legislation that could cost the port city and surrounding state billions of dollars in revenues. The protest comes as lawmakers continue to wrangle over a proposal to distribute the proceeds of Brazil’s booming energy industry more widely among states, a dispute that has slowed the development of massive offshore reserves and created a political headache for President Dilma Rousseff. The government of Rio State, which organized the protest, has said the proposal would strip it of funds for basic social services and hurt its ability to prepare for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament and 2016 Olympic Games. “There are a lot of places in Brazil with natural wealth, it’s not just Rio and oil,” said Marco Antonio Pereira de Souza, a municipal employee from the city of Macae in Rio State who was taking part in the march. “The place where the oil is produced should get the most. We’re the ones with the problems, the possible environmental problems.” (REUTERS)