Do Brazilians Support the Protests?

In recent weeks, anti-World Cup protests in Brazil have hit the headlines. During last week’s friendly between Brazil and Panama, between 10 and 20,000 demonstrated on the streets of São Paulo, many of them from the Workers Without Homes Movement. Transport unions have also demonstrated, with São Paulo metro workers and police clashing on several occasions, most recently on June 9. 

Protesters decreed May 15 as the “International Day of Fights Against the Cup", calling out for simultaneous protests around Brazil, particularly in World Cup host cities, as well as in others, including Chile and Germany. 

With days to go until the World Cup, the city of São Paulo—where the opening game between Brazil and Croatia will be held on Thursday, June 12—has been awash with protests. Many have erupted in violence: 2014 has seen at least eight official protests so far, during which a number of violent incidents were recorded.  In São Paulo, "black block" protesters, known for their use of violence, vandalized banks and telephone booths. A total of 54 people were arrested. Police said those arrested were armed with Molotov cocktails and hammers.

A study carried out by the polling and statistics-gathering company Datafolha on May 22 reported that 73 percent of those surveyed believed São Paulo would be worse off because of World Cup protests. When São Paulo citizens were asked “What do you think protests will mean for the city?” a year ago, 50 percent of the population supported protests. The May 2014 research also revealed that 76 percent of São Paulo´s population believed the country was not ready to host the World Cup and that 66 percent believe the event would fail to bring benefits to the city as a whole. But the research also found that many of the city’s residents did not believe protest was a viable way of dealing with the situation, and that protests mainly reinforced negative images of Brazil. 

Sharing the same opinion as most of São Paulo´s citizens, the former football player, who was world champion in 1970, Zé Maria, said in an exclusive interview with IranWire that he thinks the lack of support on behalf of the general public and private enterprises stems from demonstrators’ use of violence during protests. Complaints against the World Cup should have be made before Brazil was chosen to host the competition, Maria said. “With nearly a month before the main event, with all the delegations already here and the stadiums almost ready, it is clear that the Cup will happen,” he said. The constant use of violence will not only result in the public’s disenchantment with the protest movement, it will add to the total bill the public will have to pay for the World Cup. 

Research by Datafolha also shows that the Cup is being used as a political tool. In São Paulo, many of those who are in favor of the World Cup being hosted by Brazil also support the current government. Broadly speaking, anti-World Cup sentiment comes from those who support the political opposition. Among the educated middle classes, many see protests against the cup as a failure to focus on achievable outcomes or feasible demands. For many, the protests are a culmination of a huge array of social demands, including healthcare and education, and more specific demands, including salary raises for bus drivers and teachers. But one thing is certain: a big majority of the city’s population thinks the event is going to be a failure.

Such lack of confidence in the success of the event can be blamed on the delays in ensuring the stadiums meet FIFA requirements, as well as on the general attitude of the government. Last week, only six of the 12 stadiums are fully prepared to host the games. The biggest worries are over the arenas in Curitiba and Cuiabá. If they do not implement crucial improvements immediately, they run the risk of not being used during the competition. 

Other stadiums have already opened and are currently hosting national games, but several of them, including stadiums in Natal, Manaus, Porto Alegre and São Paulo, are still awaiting temporary seating or small final improvements. Only half of the stadiums meet all of FIFA´s criteria; many of them were successfully tested at last year’s Confederations Cup. Stadiums in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro—where the final match of the World Cup will be played—all met their completion deadlines.  

On June 9 a monorail worker was killed and two others injured when a beam fell on them. The monorail was part of urban mobility works planned for completion before Thursday’s competition begins. 

To justify the delays, on December 2013, the Minister of Sports, Aldo Rebelo, compared the World Cup to a wedding: "In 100 percent of the weddings I have been to, the bride was always late. I have never seen a bride on time, and I have never seen a wedding ceremony fail because of that".

And just like a wedding ceremony, thousands of Brazilians are anxious and skeptical about the bride’s arrival. Even though most people do not approve this marriage, it is clear the ceremony is going to happen. But the question remains: will the bride say yes or no? Will Brazil’s population fully embrace the competition, or will protests mar it to such a degree that reverberations will be felt for years to come?

Follow Bruno Hazov on Twitter: @Hazov

Related: Read Patricia Gomes and Karina Pignataro on protest and Brazil's preparations for the World Cup.