World Cup 2014 starts in the streets

It was with mixed feelings that Brazil received the start of the World Cup, in Sao Paulo anyway. No later than 10am Police were out in force at Carrao station in zona l’este east zone, clashes followed first between a small group of protesters by the Choque division, firing stun grenades. During the skirmish, a female team from CNN were hit, one of whom suffered a broken arm and was carried off on a stretcher.

Clashes between Police and protesters got severe quickly, Police firing tear gas whilst protesters threw rocks and bits of street furniture, and set flaming barricades in the street. The crowd of protesters were dispersed fairly quickly into fragmented groups. Some then passed onto the main highway that leads to Itauquera stadium. They almost blocked the road, so Police fired teargas into the oncoming traffic leaving the public to have to drive through it. One woman was seen having severe breathing difficulties after riding through it on a scooter. Protests also happened in many other Brazilian cities, some with violent clashes.