Shortly before the start of the Confederations Cup (the soccer tournament with the champions of the different continents one year before the World Cup), Brazilian filmmaker Carla Dauden posted a short video that went viral: No, I'm Not Going to the World Cup. Shortly after, Brazil exploded: reportedly, about two million Brazilians took to the streets to protest the country's decision to spend billions on the ongoing Cup and next year's FIFA World Cup instead of its people.
"We don't need stadiums, we need education," said Dauden, who righly points out the money coming from the games "goes straight to FIFA [soccer's governing body] or people who already have money."
The video and protests come from the country that has more World Cups than anybody else in history (five), and the best chance to win next year's tournament as well. Soccer is a religion in Brazil, yet, a growing number of Brazilians will have none of it.
In her video, Dauden pretty much covers it all. Watch this and understand why Brazilians were on the streets this week and will probably be there again when Brazil and Spain play the final game of the Confederations Cup on June 30.
On June 29, Dauden posted a message on her Facebook page distancing herself from certain people and organizations.
"My initiative is not connected to the protests against the bus fare increase, although I have full solidarity for the cause, as well as for all the other causes that, in some way and through the social movements, try to reverse the historical injustices and the inequality in our country," she wrote. "The publication of this video only coincided with the protests. You can check the date it was posted ... I do not have the answers to all that is happening. I am not a politician or an activist, I only wanted to express my thoughts. Believe me, fortunately, not everything in this world comes from financial or political interests. Much more prepared to answer these questions are the many organizations and legitimate social movements that have been fighting for a long time and on a daily basis, so that the World Cup and the Olympics won't ignore the human rights of the Brazilian people."
