Sao Paulo police crack down on anti-World Cup protest

SAO PAULO: Police in Sao Paulo fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets Thursday to break up an anti-World Cup protest on the morning the Brazilian mega-city hosts the tournament’s opening match.
Dozens of protesters gathered near a Sao Paulo subway station with a red banner reading “If we have no rights, there won’t be a Cup,” saying they planned to march as close as possible to Corinthians Arena, the city’s World Cup stadium.
But police carrying anti-riot shields forcefully broke them up before they could start, firing stun grenades and gas.
One officer fired rubber bullets at a shirtless protester who stood in the middle of the street refusing to disperse. Police then detained the man.
The demonstrators had been chanting “There won’t be a Cup,” the rallying cry of the protest movement against the more than $11 billion in government spending laid out for the tournament, which opponents say should have been used for education, health, housing and transport instead.
Gregory Leao, a 27-year-old law student who participated in the protest, said the demonstrators wanted to invade the stadium.