Brazilians Protest Massive Sports Spending

Brazilians protest over rising costs of living, massive sports spending


TONY EASTLEY: Australia might be well pleased to see the World Cup in Brazil, but a lot of Brazilians see sporting events bleeding the country dry.

Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have staged some of the biggest protests in 20 years over the rising cost of living.

There are widespread concerns about the bills being run up from the World Cup and the staging of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Will Ockenden reports.

(Sound of protesters chanting and clapping)

WILL OCKENDEN: The protests began over small increases to bus fares and quickly became known as the 20-cent revolution. The fare increases are a lot in a country where the minimum wage is about $11 a day.

The demonstrators' grievances have broadened and hundreds of thousands of people across Brazil have taken to the streets in anger.

PROTESTER (translated): The government spent one billion Brazilian real on the renovation of the Maracana Stadium. The society starts to query about it, since we still have not enough investment in education and medical care.

WILL OCKENDEN: Brazil is spending billions of dollars hosting the Confederations Cup and the World Cup next year. Some reports place the amount as high as $15 billion.

The money spent for the Rio Olympics in 2016 is also causing angst. Many of the young protesters are upset about rising costs of public services often perceived as poor quality and that billions of dollars are being spent on sport, not healthcare and education.

The Confederations Cup, which is being played now, has focused the protesters attention on the lavish expenditure.

PROTESTER 2 (translated): We have built many well-equipped stadiums for the World Cup. However, I don't even have medical insurance and I have to queue up for a long time whenever I go to hospital. There is education, for instance. My family has to pay a lot of money for my brother to go to school. That's ridiculous.

(Sound of protests)

WILL OCKENDEN: Protest organisers have been at pains to keep the demonstrations peaceful, saying violence or property damage will only hurt their cause.

But there have been clashes with police in Rio de Janeiro where a handful of people tried to break into the state assembly building. There's also been smaller scuffles with the authorities in Brazil's other cities.

President Dilma Rousseff condemned the violence.

DILMA ROUSSEFF (translated): We should strongly condemn and forbid these acts of violence. We know as a government and a society that all acts of violence are destructive, shameful and only provoke more violence.

WILL OCKENDEN: But the former left-wing activist, who faces re-election next year and whose approval rating has begun to slip in recent weeks, is listening and says she supports the protests.

DILMA ROUSSEFF (translated): The voices from the streets need to be heard. They transcend the traditional mechanisms of institutions, of political parties, of class and the media. Those who took to the streets yesterday gave a direct message to the entire society and above all the government at every level. That direct message from the streets was for better schools, for better hospitals and for health benefits and for the right of the people to participate.

TONY EASTLEY: Will Ockenden with that report.


http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3784650.htm

Big Fat Heretic wrote:
Well, if this doesn't fucking suck rubber donkey lungs!

Skul wrote:I seriously don't get why sports are so prioritised over everything else. Even health care and education! You know, things that actually matter. Sports are games, nothing more.