Clashes in Sao Paulo strikes ahead of World Cup
June 7 BBC
Police in Brazil have used tear gas to break up protesters on the
second day of a metro strike that has left Sao Paulo's transport in
chaos.
Nearly half of the stations were closed and there was gridlock on the
streets of Brazil's largest city, which will host the opening match of
the World Cup next Thursday.Workers are demanding a pay rise of at least
10%.A new round of negotiations has failed and the strike will
continue.A third of Sao Paulo's metro stations were closed on Friday
morning, and there were more than 200km (125 miles) of traffic jams
across the city in the morning rush hour.Police fired tear gas and used
batons and shields at a demonstration outside Ana Rosa station in
central Sao Paulo.
A military police spokesman said officers intervened after clashes
broke out between picketing strikers and commuters trying to enter the
station.Brazil beat Serbia 1-0 on Friday afternoon in a friendly played
at a Sao Paulo stadium that will not be used during the World Cup,
Morumbi.The underground strike and persistent rain tested the patience
of some 60,000 fans who turned up for Brazil's last match before the
tournament begins.The World Cup will kick off on 12 June with a match
between the hosts Brazil and Croatia at the Itaquerao stadium, or Arena
Corinthians, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo.Football's world governing
body, Fifa, said on Thursday it was confident the World Cup would be a
success.
“I'm an optimist. After the tournament kicks off, I think there will
be a better mood,” Fifa president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday.The
Brazilian government is under a huge amount of pressure as the only
viable way for fans to reach the Itaquerao stadium for the World Cup is
on public transport, says the BBC's Katy Watson in Sao Paulo.President
Dilma Rousseff has defended the country's preparations for the World
Cup.Everywhere in the world, these big engineering projects always go
down to the wire,” she told reporters on Friday.
The demonstrations would not be allowed to disrupt the tournament,
she added.Brazil has seen a year of street protests against bad
governance and perceived excessive spending in preparations for the
World Cup and the Olympics, which Rio de Janeiro will host in 2016.Many
Brazilians say, however, that they are tired of protests and strikes.
They say the country should enjoy the unique occasion of hosting the
World Cup.
|