As many as 200,000 Brazilians in 11 cities marched this week to protest tax burdens, lack of funding for healthcare, education and rising transportation costs that are associated with numerous national events, including the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.
While the demonstrations were mostly peaceful, there were flare-ups of violence in Rio de Janeiro when a group set fires to cars and barricades and clashed with police. Another protest saw marchers throw rocks at trains. Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and used water canons on protesters. In at least one instance, live ammunition was fired by police.
Costs of hosting next summer’s World Cup are expected to top $13 billion, a figure that’s criticized by citizens who say the country should be spending money elsewhere. The main points of the protests are summarized in this short video by Brazilian filmmaker Carla Dauden, entitled “No, I’m not going to the World Cup.” It has more than 500,000 views in its first 24 hours.
A moving moment about a minute into the video as a doctor in one of Rio's understaffed, and underfunded hospitals rages "I am a doctor. I am revolted. I am alone in this crap here! There is nothing I can do for the excess of sick patients and the secretariat, the governor, they don't do anything!"
“It’s time we started thinking about our priorities and what’s important,” Dauden says at the end of the clip.
