The historic wave of protests that has swept across Brazil in recent days has gained some important allies - the players of the Brazilian national football team.
Brazil is hosting the Confederations Cup, a tournament of continental champions which serves as a warm-up for next year’s World Cup, but the Brazilian players’ focus has turned to the demonstrations which have taken over a country fighting for improvements in basic services such as public transport, schools and hospitals.
The Brazilian players had been trying to avoid the subject, but it became impossible not to talk about it after hundreds of thousands of countrymen took to the streets to show their displeasure with politicians, authorities and local government. Brazil striker Hulk says that after seeing the demonstrations he felt “like joining them.”
“After seeing the people on the streets claiming for improvements, it makes me feel like joining them,” Brazil striker Hulk said. “They are doing the right thing, what they are saying makes sense and we have to hear them. Brazil needs to improve, we all know that.”
Nearly 240,000 people marched in 10 Brazilian cities on Monday in protests that are turning into the most significant in Brazil since end of 1964-85 military dictatorship, when crowds rallied to demand the return of democracy. It also reminded of the early 1990s nationwide movement to call for the impeachment of then president Fernando Collor de Melo following corruption allegations and unpopular economic measures.