By Andrew Warshaw
June 17 – FIFA officials are “monitoring the situation” in Brazil after violent protests broke out two days running to coincide with the start of the Confederations Cup.
Following the initial protests ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture in Brasilia that left 39 people injured and led to 30 arrests, there were further demonstrations on Sunday outside the iconic Maracana stadium where Italy met Mexico, some of them involving homeless activists.
Around 600 protesters were complaining about the high cost of the tournament and use of public funds for next year’s World Cup, with banners proclaiming “We don’t need the World Cup” and “We need money for hospitals and education”.
“We are monitoring the situation and we are in touch with the local authorities,” a FIFA spokesman was quoted as saying, adding that world football’s governing body has ”full confidence and trust in the local authorities” to cope with ”any circumstance”.
The back-to-back demonstrations followed similar disturbances in Sao Paulo when police clashed with demonstrators angered by hikes in bus and subway fares. Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo criticized Sao Paulo police for using “extreme violence.”
“Police can never act in the arbitrary and violent fashion,” he told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.