Here demonstrators on Wednesday marched to the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The 12 stadia built to host the 2013 Confederations Cup (just held), 2014 World Cup & 2016 summer Olympics have increasingly become the focus of continuing massive protests. Placards reading “Health, Education & Reform” are coupled with those reading “There won’t be a Cup” & “FIFA go home.”
Renovations for the games were finished at Mineirao stadium last year (it originally opened in 1965) at an estimated cost of R$ 667 million/US$ 304 million. Builders boasted that the stadium was built with sustainable materials, used solar energy, had energy-efficient lighting, upgraded audio/video & acoustics to comply with FIFA requirements, was green landscaped. They crowed that builders were socially responsible & gave computer classes to construction workers, employed 100 women, & hired prisoners (they didn’t say if they were paid or not).
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff inaugurated the rebooted stadium in December & a few months ago, Elton John & Paul McCartney had concerts at the 67,000 seat stadium (the second largest in Brazil after Maracana in Rio) to test out the new facilities. Well-heeled patrons complained queues were too long.
It’s a mighty impressive sounding place but if a 20 cent fare increase sends upwards of a million people into orbit it’s unlikely they’ll ever see the inside of the stadium except as ushers & peanut vendors. Social inequity is on the hot seat & bravo to that!
(Photo by Felipe Dana/AP)
No comments:
Post a Comment