Between cleats and boots – The protests in Brazil during the World Cup

• In Event: Social Movements in the streets

Abstract

"It will not be Cup". This phrase could be read on the posters and slogans during the protests in Brazil in June 2013. It was surprising that in the "soccer country", this sport has been used as a new form of protest. The objective was clear: to mobilize Brazilians to prevent the accomplishment of the 20th World Cup in Brazil, if the government not would be granted the claimed social rights. The result is well known: the Cup do occurred but the claims were not attended. However, during the event, there were demonstrations in 180 cities in Brazil and abroad. Also surprising was that in 2013 about 2608 people were arrested. In 2014, only in São Paulo about 500 people were arrested in protests against the World Cup. So last year, Brazil saw not only the emergence of social protest movements, as well as the return of the criminalization of activists and participants, some of them being called "vandals" and “terrorists” by government representatives and the media. Currently 28 protesters answer for the crime of "formation of gangs." The objective of this paper is to analyze this social movement, in its genesis and development in Brazil, as well as its connection to international networks through Brazilian immigrants abroad. The literature on social movements and protests will be discussed, as well as the anthropological perspective found in the Simoni L. Guedes and Roberto Da Matta works on soccer.

Authors

• Rafael Murta Reis, Fundação Getulio Vargas

• Ana Cristina Martes Braga, Fundação Getulio Vargas