Jun 17 2013
Bloomberg: Huge Brazil Protests Resume After Rousseff Jeered at Soccer Game
As many as 20,000 Brazilians are expected to march in Sao Paulo today in what organizers vow will be the biggest yet in a wave of protests to rock Latin America’s largest economy in little more than a week.
Authorities are pledging to keep riot police at bay to avoid a repeat of clashes June 13 that left dozens wounded when rubber bullets and tear gas were fired upon activists protesting an increase in bus fares. Groups in three other cities — Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte — are also taking to the streets today.
The demonstrations have grown larger and spread across the country as discontent about inflation and the economy mount, fueling dissatisfaction with President Dilma Rousseff. The president, whose approval rating slipped eight percentage points this month, was jeered at a packed soccer stadium over the weekend while inaugurating the Confederations Cup.
“An alarm has sounded,” Alexandre Barros, head of Brasilia-based political risk consulting firm Early Warning. “The average Brazilian doesn’t know what the government should do, but they feel their pockets being pinched.”
Soccer fans booed Rousseff for more than a minute as she was introduced in Brasilia at the June 15 opening of the two-week tournament, a warm-up to next year’s World Cup. The heckling intensified when Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s governing body FIFA, admonished the crowd for not showing “respect.” A stern-faced Rousseff then cut short the moment with a single sentence declaring a start to the tournament.
Soccer Protests
The president’s political allies played down the significance of the jeering at a game where tickets cost more than $100 — about a quarter of Brazil’s monthly minimum wage. Jose Guimaraes, leader of the ruling Workers’ Party in the lower house, told O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper that rowdy fans would’ve greeted any politician introduced the same way.
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5 Responses to “Bloomberg: Huge Brazil Protests Resume After Rousseff Jeered at Soccer Game”
Não foram 20 mil, foram 100 mil só no RIO e mais de 100 mil em SP. O BRASIL VAI PARAR!! SE A PRESIDENTA NÃO FIZER NADA, O BRASIL VAI PARAR!!
We are protesting because of the high rate of taxation and the little that the government returns to the population. And not to mention the world cup that has spent 4 times more than in Germany.
We are protesting because of the high rate of taxation and the little that the government returns to the population. And not to mention the world cup that has spent 4 times more than in Germany. HELP us!
Hi there,
There were over 230,000 people protesting on the capitals of Brazil on Monday, June 17. There have been demonstrations throughout the world including in the cities of Dublin, Berlin, New York, Montreal. A group of about 200 Brazilians gathered in front of the Brazilian Consulate on the corner of Wilshire and La Cienega. The group is planning another gathering in support of the protesters back home but dates have not been defined. Not surprisingly, the Brazilian media is very likely to portray protesters as dangerous vandals without a cause, which may instill fear and prevent to movement from going forward. PLEASE HELP the Brazilian people bring the eyes of the international community for the difficult situations still faced by many people in our country. Some may be puzzled about the reasons Brazilians decided to take action now that life has actually improved for so many of our poor and working class. My understanding is that exactly because of that improvement many of them can see and understand the difference between their lives and the lives of the dominant class. People are demanding more because they are aware that more can and should be done. People are questioning why there is soooo much money to spend on stadiums for the world cup and not enough for public schools, health and safety? PLEASE HELP us demand those answers!
Thank you,
Deisi
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