Sunday Times 2
Police, strikers clash in Brazil World Cup host city
View(s):SAO PAULO, June 07 (AFP) – Brazil’s World Cup preparations endured a rough Friday, as police clashed with striking subway workers in Sao Paulo, massive traffic jams snarled the mega-city and fans booed the national team.
The scuffle in the metro station and a separate anti-government protest that gathered 3,000 people raised fears of more unrest when Brazil and Croatia open the World Cup in Sao Paulo on Thursday.
Police fired tear gas and swung batons to beat back picketing strikers inside a central station after commuters tried to enter.
The strike, affecting millions of commuters, will continue for a third day Saturday after the workers’ union and their employers failed to reach a deal on a pay raise.
Across town, meanwhile, demonstrators blocked the street in front of the Central Bank in a peaceful protest organized by the Force Union against the economic policies of President Dilma Rousseff.
“Our problem is not with the national team. We will cheer for them. But on October 5, we will send Dilma Rousseff to hell,” said union leader Paulo Pereira da Silva, referring to the upcoming presidential election.