The World Cup in Brazil has become a symbol of protest for the country’s poor who claim the government is wasting money which should be spent on public services instead.
Now street protests are being met with police officers who have been trained in the martial art of jiu jitsu.
The specialist officers, called “Tropa do Braço” (Troop of Arms), patrolled last weekend’s demonstration of 1,500 people in central São Paulo. It was the first time weapons were not used, but instead the 140 officers had had three months of martial arts training.
The tactic was reportedly inspired by French police who confronted violent protests in Paris in 2005.
Brazil has experienced its share of violent protests over World Cup spending but now the police want to use less aggressive resources. Until now they have used rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray and sound bombs to try to disperse crowds, causing a number of injuries.
Even with 262 arrests over the weekend, the police claimed victory as fewer police and citizens were arrested and there was less damage.
Protests kicked off last June when bus fares went up, coinciding with millions going into World Cup provisions, and have continued since. Opinion polls suggest that public support for the protests has fallen to 52% from a high of 81% last year.
At the same time, more people now say that they are against the World Cup being held in Brazil. Some 38% are against the country hosting the tournament, which starts in June, compared with 10% last year.
