Sao Paulo Becomes Mob Scene as Police Fire Tear Gas at World Cup Protesters

Sao Paulo became a scene of pandemonium on Thursday, as a group of protesters stormed toward the Arena Corinthians stadium demanding more money for low-income housing, hospitals, and education; the Brazilian government reportedly spent $11 billion on World Cup preparations. 

Police fired tear gas at the protesters to subdue the crowd, causing some minor injuries. One protester was arrested. 

According to CNN, a camp of World Cup protesters has risen less than 2.5 miles from the stadium. The shantytown settlement is called the “People’s Cup” and includes 3,000 families. 

The people intend to the the World Cup attention to cite problems with the government, most notably the steep rise in rent during the construction of the stadium. Residents report minimum wage workers’ inability afford housing and a need for government intervention. 

Publication date: June 13, 2014