Demonstrations, strikes and violence have reached the global media. Attention is turned towards the protests taking place all around Brazil as the World Cup starts.
June 12 started out with Galeão airport partially paralysed by demonstrations. In São Paulo, at 10am an Assembly of the Metro Workers Union and the protest group Não Vai Ter Copa (There Will be No World Cup) started. It was brutally repressed by the Military Police, as the protesters joined the Assembly. Disagreement over the next steps between the Union leaders and the strikers led to the crowd’s dispersal, and protesters headed to Radial Leste avenue, followed by the Police.
[/media-credit]The surrounded videographers, journalists and civilian rescuers were the victims of brutality. A reporter from CNN was severely wounded by pieces of a stun grenade. A rescuer from GAPP (Popular Protest Support Group) passed out, several journalists were the targets of police violence. Meanwhile, protesters attempted to allow the work of the press and resist the violence. Nevertheless, four people were arrested, one from an alternative media, NINJA. Scenes of vandalism were witnessed.
In Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, protests started out peacefully, but demonstrations turned violent almost from the beginning. In Rio de Janeiro, a protester was immobilized and had his eyes pepper sprayed at point-blank range. Other demonstrations also took place in Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Maceió and Juazeiro do Norte.
Sao Paulo also saw demonstrations from MTST (Homeless Worker’s Movement) for better and increased housing.
