Brazilian police have prevented around 200 protesters from marching on the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro as the arena hosted its first World Cup game.
According to AFP, law enforcement used pepper spray to halt demonstrations before they reached the stadium on Sunday evening, and one police officer is said to have fired a gun into the air and demanded that people leave the area immediately.
Protesters, unhappy at the vast cost of staging the tournament whilst many social welfare issues are unresolved, were heard to chant "Hey FIFA, return to Switzerland" and some individuals reportedly tried to breach a police barricade.
On Thursday, before the opening match of the World Cup, police in Sao Paulo fired stun grenades at protesters.
Written by
Chris O'Keefe
Chris O'Keefe
