Brazil police fire tear gas to disperse angry protesters in Rio
Iran Press TV
Mon Jul 1, 2013 7:9AM GMT
Brazilian police have used tear gas in clashes with thousands of protesters near Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, as Brazil took on Spain in the final match of the FIFA Confederations Cup.
The violence erupted on Sunday as 5,000 people were marching on the stadium, venting their anger against government corruption and its spending policies.
More than 11,000 police and troops had been mobilized to the arena and at least six people were reportedly wounded in the clashes.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, whose popularity has plunged since the beginning of the unrest, did not attend the sporting event.
The two-week tournament has been overshadowed by protests, which initially erupted on June 17, when street rallies were held over a rise in bus fares.
However, the anger has now snowballed into nationwide demonstrations, with people demanding that the government address the issues of high taxes, inflation, corruption, and poor public services.
The protesters are also objecting to spending more than USD 26 billion of public money on hosting major sporting events, including the Confederations Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Dozens of people have been hurt and hundreds more arrested in the violent clashes.
The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI) said that over 50 journalists have been injured, harassed or arrested during the demonstrations.
CAH/HSN/HMV
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