Biggest protests in 20 years sweep Brazil
[Biggest protests in
20 years sweep Brazil by Todd Benson and
Asher Levine Sao Paulo Reuters] "As many as
200,000 demonstrators marched through the
streets of Brazil's biggest cities on Monday
in a swelling wave of protest tapping into
widespread anger at poor public services,
police violence and government corruption.
The marches, organized mostly through
snowballing social media campaigns, blocked
streets and halted traffic in more than a
half-dozen cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio
de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia,
where demonstrators climbed onto the roof of
Brazil's Congress building and then stormed
it.
Monday's demonstrations were the latest in a
flurry of protests in the past two weeks
that have added to growing unease over
Brazil's sluggish economy, high inflation
and a spurt in violent crime.
While most of the protests unfolded as a
festive display of dissent, some
demonstrators in Rio threw rocks at police,
set fire to a parked car and vandalized the
state assembly building. Vandals also
destroyed property in the southern city of
Porto Alegre.
Around the country, protesters waved
Brazilian flags, dancing and chanting
slogans such as "The people have awakened"
and "Pardon the inconvenience, Brazil is
changing."
The epicenter of Monday's march shifted from
Sao Paulo, where some 65,000 people took to
the streets late in the afternoon, to Rio.
There, as protesters gathered throughout the
evening, crowds ballooned to 100,000 people,
local police said. At least 20,000 more
gathered in Belo Horizonte.
The demonstrations are the first time that
Brazilians, since a recent decade of steady
economic growth, are collectively
questioning the status quo.
The protests have gathered pace as Brazil is
hosting the Confederation's Cup, a dry run
for next year's World Cup soccer
championship. The government hopes these
events, along with the 2016 Summer Olympics,
will showcase Brazil as an emerging power on
the global stage..."
Am 8:5
Biggest protests in 20 years sweep Brazil
Related:
Bus fare rise last straw
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "About time! Brazil has needed a good sweeping for a long time. When they're done sweeping, have them dust the furniture and clean the windows."
I had hoped they'd
clean up their act (Am
8:5) but
that's not happening. I don't know about
that World Cup.
