By William Jones, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As the Brazil team arrived at their team base in Teresópolis to start preparations for the FIFA World Cup they were met by a group of protestors, where many of whom are opposed to the country hosting the tournament which is due to start on June 12th.
According to reports, the protestors managed to slow the bus down and held signs and banners which read “FIFA go home” and “Copa para quem?” (Cup for whom?). At one point military police officers had to stop intruders from attempting to enter the area where the Seleção (National team) will be stationed.
The protest occurred 1.5 km outside Granja Comary, the Brazilian Football Federation’s training complex. As the bus ferried the players from their team hotel in Rio de Janeiro the players were harassed by the group, many of the protestors beat the side of the bus and attached anti-World Cup stickers to it.
The group of people was thought to be around only a few hundred, but the scenes witnessed could be a sign of things to come for the Seleção the coming weeks. Many of the demonstrators were reported to be in support of school teachers who have been in strike since May 12th and continue to protest over pay and working conditions in light of the millions spent on hosting the World Cup.
The players also received a send off of jeers as they left their hotel in Rio on their way to their first training session. After playing Croatia in June 12th at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo in the opening game of the tournament, the Seleção go on to play Mexico on June 17th in Fortaleza, and then Cameroon on June 23rd at the Estádio Mané Garrincha in Brasília.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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