When politicians have to listen
- Examples from Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Sri Lanka and elsewhere
- July 9, 2013
International Footballs’ Confederation Cup, a lead-up to the World Cup, is being played out in Brazil. You would expect that the ‘Beautiful Game’ would be the total focus among football crazy Brazilians. But more than a million people in over 100 cities have erupted in anti-Government protests.
Things became so intolerable for the Brazilian Football elite that the icon of Brazilian Football, the renowned Pele, appealed to his countrymen to “forget the protests and concentrate on football”. He was howled down and had to retract, declaring that he too supported peaceful protests.
The protests began over an increase of 20 centavos (nine US cents) in transport fares, but they have transformed themselves into a rally against political corruption, lack of governance and the costs being incurred by Brazil to host next year’s football World Cup.
The politicians at first unleashed the riot police on the protesters. Ill-trained, brutal police turned a mostly peaceful march into a terrifying rout. Officers with their name tags removed fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at protesters. But soon the politicians had to listen – and rolled back the increase in transport charges!
Demanding change
But this abject surrender by the political class has failed to quell the protests. One protester said: “This means that our politicians have begun to hear our voices. This is something which has never happened before – in a non election year at least. It’s a start. What happens next, nobody knows, but it gives us hope.” Another said: “It’s not about the price of transport any more. People are so disgusted with the system, so fed up, now, we are demanding change.”
The politicians thought the Confederation Cup would be a distraction. However at the final, even when it was Brazil – Spain and Brazil won in a rout, four to zero – the demonstrators were there!
Earlier President Dilma Roussef was planning a State visit abroad. The Mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city was in Paris, canvassing for the 2020 World’s fair, just the sort of extravagant wasting of public funds – Confederation Cup, World Cup, etc., which was the protesters’ target.
Demonstrators held up placards demanding schools and hospitals at ‘FIFA standards,’ mocking the demands set by the International Football Federation (FIFA) for the football stadium and other facilities for the World Cup! They challenged the justification of Brazil spending seven billion Rials on stadiums alone for the World Cup, rather than schools and hospitals. They chanted: “First world stadiums, third world schools and hospitals”.
Things became so intolerable for the Brazilian Football elite that the icon of Brazilian Football, the renowned Pele, appealed to his countrymen to “forget the protests and concentrate on football”. He was howled down and had to retract, declaring that he too supported peaceful protests.The protests began over an increase of 20 centavos (nine US cents) in transport fares, but they have transformed themselves into a rally against political corruption, lack of governance and the costs being incurred by Brazil to host next year’s football World Cup.
The politicians at first unleashed the riot police on the protesters. Ill-trained, brutal police turned a mostly peaceful march into a terrifying rout. Officers with their name tags removed fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at protesters. But soon the politicians had to listen – and rolled back the increase in transport charges!
Demanding change
But this abject surrender by the political class has failed to quell the protests. One protester said: “This means that our politicians have begun to hear our voices. This is something which has never happened before – in a non election year at least. It’s a start. What happens next, nobody knows, but it gives us hope.” Another said: “It’s not about the price of transport any more. People are so disgusted with the system, so fed up, now, we are demanding change.”
The politicians thought the Confederation Cup would be a distraction. However at the final, even when it was Brazil – Spain and Brazil won in a rout, four to zero – the demonstrators were there!Earlier President Dilma Roussef was planning a State visit abroad. The Mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city was in Paris, canvassing for the 2020 World’s fair, just the sort of extravagant wasting of public funds – Confederation Cup, World Cup, etc., which was the protesters’ target.
Demonstrators held up placards demanding schools and hospitals at ‘FIFA standards,’ mocking the demands set by the International Football Federation (FIFA) for the football stadium and other facilities for the World Cup! They challenged the justification of Brazil spending seven billion Rials on stadiums alone for the World Cup, rather than schools and hospitals. They chanted: “First world stadiums, third world schools and hospitals”.
