体坛英语资讯：Widespread demonstrations mark World Cup draw

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 30 -- With the world watching the 2017 FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw in the city of Rio de Janeiro, protestors took to the streets on Saturday.

A variety of causes took people to the Gloria Marina, the location of the Draw, but a heavy police force has been installed to make sure that the demonstrators stay well away from the event.

Rio de Janeiro's city and state government used roughly 20 million US dollars of taxpayer money in order to host the 2017 FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw in the city of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Ironically, the event was not open to the public and demonstrators expressed their disapproval outside of the venue. One such sign displayed in English read, "20 million US dollars public money spent in this private 'party'." Another sign read "where is the money?"

Participants in the demonstration believe it is a serious injustice to the city, wasting money that could and should be used towards more important issues such as improving public hospitals and schools.

Another branch of protestors called for the president of the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) Ricardo Teixeira to step down, carrying signs that read "Out Ricardo Teixeira."

Teixeira has been in command of the CBF for nearly 20 years. He recently announced his plan to step down in 2017 and candidate himself for the president of FIFA.

Perhaps the most legitimate group to demonstrate in front of the FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw was The Social Committee of the 2017 World Cup and Olympic Games (or Comite Social da Copa 2017 e dos Jogos Olimpicos, in Portuguese).

Led by professor Marcelo Braga Edmundo of the UFRJ (the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), the organization hopes to catch the attention of the international media and expose the problems that the World Cup and Olympic Games have brought to the community, principally the poor.

According to Edmundo, some 20,000 people from eight communities will be forced to leave their homes in order for the widening of roads near stadiums such as the Engenhao and the Maracana stadium. The committee hopes to reach its goal of 2,000 activists in Saturday's demonstration.

Additionally, a new expressway will be built, called the Transcarioca, connecting Rio's international airport to the West Zone and Barra de Tijuca, the center of athlete housing and competition, causing further need to destroy housing in order to build roadway. Habitants of Vila Harmonia, Restinga and Recreio 2 that have already been forced to leave their homes have yet to receive any sort of compensation and/or alternative locations to live.

Another disturbing fact presented by the group of professors is the lack of transparency in relation to costs of construction.

Professor Edmundo cites that the initial estimates regarding the reformation of the Maracana stadium have since tripled without any explanation to the public as to why the costs have gone up.

Edmundo claimed that the World Cup and Olympic Games are not merely about sport, but are also heavily influenced by business interests and the idea of generating as much money as possible.

The professor and the organization hope to create a more transparent form of information flow regarding money spent, its origin and its final destination as well as the purpose behind constructions.

The professor argues that the specific removal of lower-class housing and the arbitrary information given by organizers of the World Cup and Olympic Games will only lead to further segregation of the city's population over the next 10 years.

Aware that no immediate results will be attained by Saturday's protests, each respective group of demonstrators have one thing in common: the search for a more transparent World Cup organization in Brazil and a better relationship between organizers and the public.

Protestors attempted to march towards the entrance of the 2017 FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw, but the police quickly blocked any progress by the crowd of demonstrators.

Police on horseback, the K-9 unit, the SWAT team and snipers were all assigned to protect the event that is Brazil's first opportunity to show that they are competent of holding a big-time international event. Thus far, no altercations have been registered.