Ahead of the the US World Cup opener against Ghana, Forbes said that hundreds of Brazilians had demonstrated in the city of Natal in its efforts to call the attention of the country's government regarding its mammoth spending to host the global sports tournament. According to police, around 400 had hit the street in the northeastern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Norte, threatening US fans who were making their way to the match. Aside from the US flag, the FIFA flag was also burned in protest.
Police have said that there were several arrests made during the demonstration, which was kept far from US Vice President Joe Biden, who was also present to witness the match. Aside from watching US trundle Ghana in a 2-1 victory, Biden was reportedly expected to meet with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, after the latter had snubbed an official White House function last year ever since Edward Snowden's revelations about the US National Security Agency spied on local companies and the president has been exposed.
The recent violence marked an ongoing public outcry that had first started in June last year, Forbes said. The protest on Monday had shown protesters carrying anti-World Cup banners painted in the host country's recognizable colors of yellow and green. Moreover, the hooded Black Bloc movement was reportedly felt during the demonstration, pelting police with rocks.
A poll taken before the World Cup indicated that around 60% of Brazilians in an otherwise football-crazy nation are opposed to their country hosting the tournament due to the apparent wasteful spending on refurbished and new facilities. Critics have said that the money would have been earmarked to more pressing matters like the country's deteriorating infrastructure and public services, which was evident this week when heavy rains had swallowed entire homes in lower-income neighborhoods on the oceanfront city's outskirts.
