By Jaime Ortega.
With at least 100,000 people in the streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro, the future Olympic venue became alive, on Monday, where the largest demonstration in Brazil, has held numerous protests that combine discontent over investments injected into the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup, including the abandonment of precarious public services.
The demonstration reached its peak at 17:30 local time with a trail of people in the Avenida Presidente Vargas, one of the main roads in the center of the city.
A the public called for the “marchinhas” mobilization a reminiscent of Rio Carnival parades, that includes the youth, seniors and families that have raised their voices to express a range of claims, the most diverse, but with the same ideals: “It’s not 20 cents worth it is all about rights,” read the banner in the header.
“They say we are the middle class, but if I have hunger nobody is going to help me, we are here for everyone,” says Erick Son, a travel agent of 19 years of age.
The “middle class Brazil” that aspired in the past president Dilma Rousseff, is what protestors rebuked in Rio with posters like “Dilma, you’ve already been here,” referring to the activist past of the president for the Brazilian military dictatorship.
On these claims that have already crossed the Atlantic, Dilma has simply stressed, Monday through a statement that “peaceful demonstrations are legitimate and are characteristic of democracy and youth”, in its first assessment of the protests.
The lawyer for the Federation for the Homeless Internationalist, Paula Andrea believes that this group is the most affected by the sporting events of the next three years. “The World Cup has caused the eviction of thousands of families that were dedicated to sport facilities and tourism promotions,” says Paula.
For Uwe Schliemann, 39, and his son Ian , protected with small plastic glasses, the main problem is corruption in the country: “We have rulers who have been convicted and want to take power over the institutions country’s legal assesments. “
After Sunday’s disproportionate police action near the Maracana stadium, the protesters went yesterday equipped with masks, handkerchiefs soaked in vinegar and glasses, to mitigate the effects of tear gas and pepper spray often used by the Military Police.
In Sao Paulo, where about 65,000 people demonstrated, according to the newspaper “Folha ‘, the controversial arrests for carrying vinegar made last Thursday gave rise to what is known as’ March for legalization of vinegar’ or ‘Revolt Vinegar’ whose claims, present in social networks giving rise to all sorts of jokes have been heard in several cities.
The protest in Rio de Janeiro uneventful most of the time, ended with clashes between police and protesters that left at the last moment, and resulted in ten arrests. According to the newspaper O Globo, there were 29 wounded, among whom, according to the Ministry of Security, 20 are officers. Nine people had to be taken to hospital, some of them injured by bullets and rubber bullets.
