Massive protests in Brazil (55 pictures)
Over the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people from all over Brazil have flooded the streets of the nation’s cities in what are the largest protests the country has seen in 20 years. If all you’ve been watching is NBA Finals coverage you’ve been missing out on this major news story so we will fill you in.
- The protest was started by Mayara Vivian, the 23-year-old founder of Free Fare Movement, when she rallied a few hundred people to protest over a proposed bus fare increase. She has been starting rallies since she was 15 in 2005.
- The Government ceded to the protesters’ initial demands by rolling back bus fare increases this week
- Despite the bus fare concession the protests continued to grow and one million people joined the rally on Thursday night
- President Dilma Rousseff on Friday canceled a planned trip to Japan and called an emergency meeting of her top Cabinet members because they fear the protests could turn violent
- The protest started in Sao Paolo but have spread to more than 100 cities
- Costly 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games stadiums, corrupt politicians, high taxes and shoddy schools are points of protest
- Brazilian soccer stars Neymar and Ronaldinho are hated amongst the masses
- The Confederations Cup, the eight-team football tournament begin held in Brazil, considered a dry run for next year’s FIFA World Cup, is in danger and FIFA will claim compensation from Brazil if the Confederations Cup has to be suspended.
- Protestors have begun to attack Brazil’s established news media, which some see as tied to the elite and focused on portraying the violent minority of demonstrators. New vehicles have been burned and TV correspondents have been attacked.
- Protesters have begun covering the demonstrations themselves, distributing their reports though social media