17 Apr 2014

Protests continue over World Cup

1:13 pm on 17 April 2014

Several hundred people have marched through Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo in a peaceful protest that was the latest in a series of demonstrations against the upcoming football World Cup.

Brazil will host the month-long tournament, which starts in June, for the first time since 1950 - but there is unrest among locals who believe too much money has been spent on preparing for the global showpiece to the detriment of public services such as health, education and transport.

Protesters braved the torrential rain and a heavy police presence to chant, "There's Not Going To Be A World Cup" and "FIFA Go Home".

Such protests are small but frequent and follow a more widespread wave of demonstrations that took place during last year's Confederations Cup, when more than a million people took to the streets to protest what they contend is insufficient social spending.

With the kickoff less than two months away, three of the stadia are still unfinished and several airports and public transportation projects are late, scaled back, or have been abandoned altogether.