Thousands rally in Brazil against World Cup

Thousands rally in Brazil against World Cup

Thousands of Brazilians backing a movement to
help homeless workers rallied in Sao Paulo to
protest a lack of housing, shoddy public services and
huge spending on the World Cup.
Police put attendance at 15,000 while organisers
said it was more than double that.
Despite the rain, the Homeless Workers Movement
said the rally late yesterday was among the biggest
in weeks of protests in Brazil as the country
prepares to host the World Cup in three weeks’ time
and the Summer Olympics in 2016.
“We are here to protest against the Cup, against the
huge spending on the World Cup while we do not
have housing or healthcare or anything else,” said
Luiz Giovani, a member of the movement.
The march was peaceful as it passed through a
major commercial district of Brazil’s largest city.
Banners carried by demonstrators included some
that said, “FIFA go home”, in reference to football’s
world governing body.
It was the latest in a series of demonstrations in
recent weeks by the homeless movement.
The World Cup will cost Brazilian taxpayers USD 11
billion.