BRAZIL: SOCCER/FOOTBALL: Belo Horizonte mops up after violent clashes during protests

Record ID: 321938

  • Title: BRAZIL: SOCCER/FOOTBALL: Belo Horizonte mops up after violent clashes during protests
  • Date: 27th June 2013
  • Summary: BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL (JUNE 26, 2013) SCENIC VIEW OF CITY OF BELO HORIZONTE VARIOUS OUTSIDE HEAVILY DAMAGED KIA AUTOS DEALERSHIP VARIOUS OF REMNANTS OF BURNED OUT VAN INSIDE DEALERSHIP VARIOUS OF BURNED, AND STILL SMOKING, DEALERSHIP VARIOUS OF KIA MARKETING MANAGER, LARISSA LOPES, IN FRONT OF BURNED OUT CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) KIA MARKETING MANAGER, LARISSA LOPES, SAYING: "If we repair the damages the work is going to take around two months at the minimum. But we don't really know because to make all this investment again this year and then have the World Cup which is a bigger event than the Confederations Cup. We can't be sure about the government's security measures because we called the police and also the fire department when the game began, but we weren't attended to until the end of the game, and according to them it was because the focus was the stadium's security." VARIOUS OF DESTROYED AND BURNT VEHICLES VARIOUS OUTSIDE LARGE DAMAGED DEPARTMENT STORE VARIOUS DOWNTOWN BELO HORIZONTE, DAYTIME (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) HOUSEWIFE, LEDA BATISTA, SAYING: "I think they are going to keep going. The 2014 World Cup is coming and are things really going to change by then? Are we going to have real improvements? Only time will tell." MORE BUSY CITY STREETS AND SIDEWALKS OF BELO HORIZONTE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SALES CLERK, VIVIAN SANTOS, SAYING: "I do want it (protest movement) to continue. I am in favour of it and have participated. I think it's great. What I don't like are the people that are on the side of trying to create problems by being confrontational and cause things to go backwards by breaking things, and being aggressive. I am not in favour of this." CROSSWALK BUSY WITH PEDESTRIANS
  • Embargoed: 12th July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4EXWHJQFZOMIT94SX8ARYT8T3
  • Story Text: The task of going back to everyday life in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte was hard for some on Thursday (June 27) - a day after protests were marred by clashes and one fatality.
    On Wednesday (June 26), Brazilians angry over the cost of hosting a string of international sporting events despite creaking public services demonstrated in the streets of Brazil's third-largest city.
    The majority of the estimated 50,000 protesters that took to the city's streets while Brazil played Uruguay in a Confederations Cup semi-final remained peaceful, but clashes erupted between police and a minority of protesters.
    Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try and disperse protesters who at times hurled rocks and home-made explosives at police.
    One 21-year-old man died after he fell into a crowd of marching protesters from an overpass.
    According to local news reports, police detained at least 25 protesters.
    One business hit hard was a local Kia automotive dealership, set on fire and looted after its windows were broken.
    To no avail, employees had even placed signs outside the dealership saying that they supported the protesters, but "without violence."
    Marketing manager with Kia, Larissa Lopes, couldn't be certain of the future for the business.

    "If we repair the damages the work is going to take around two months at the minimum. But we don't really know because to make all this investment again this year and then have the World Cup which is a bigger event than the Confederations Cup. We can't be sure about the government's security measures because we called the police and also the fire department when the game began, but we weren't attended to until the end of the game, and according to them it was because the focus was the stadium's security," Lopes said.
    Much of the conflict and destruction occurred about two kilometers (1.25 miles) away from the soccer game being played in the city's new $350 million Mineirao stadium.
    The new stadium is also set to host World Cup matches when the 32-nation soccer world championship comes to Brazil next year.
    One local resident, Leda Batista, said she expected the protests to go on.

    "I think they are going to keep going. The 2014 World Cup is coming and are things really going to change by then? Are we going to have real improvements? Only time will tell," Batista said.
    The demonstrations against Brazil's political establishment have jolted politicians of all stripes.
    Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has tried to defuse the discontent by proposing a referendum on political reforms. Although protest numbers have fallen the demonstrations and disturbances to everyday life have not shown signs of stopping.
    Vivian Santos, a sales clerk, said she supported peaceful protests.

    "I do want it (protest movement) to continue. I am in favour of it and have participated. I think it's great. What I don't like are the people that are on the side of trying to create problems by being confrontational and cause things to go backwards by breaking things, and being aggressive. I am not in favour of this," Santos said.
    There are no more Confederations Cup games scheduled for Belo Horizonte but across Brazil many more protests are planned for the rest of the week.
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