Sao Paulo, Brazil - Brazilian riot police have used tear gas against protesters in Sao Paulo, three days before the World Cup opening game in the city's main stadium. Sao Paulo metro workers, who called the protest, have since suspended a strike over demands for a salary increase.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said she would not allow violent demonstrations to mar the World Cup. The strike, which began last Thursday, has caused widespread disruption in one of the world's most congested cities. A union spokeswoman told the BBC on Monday that they had suspended the strike for two days to allow for negotiations and that protesters would meet again on Wednesday to consider their position.
If staff threatened with dismissal were not reinstated, she added, the protest would resume on the opening day of the World Cup. It was a very tense start on Monday - only about 300 protestors gathered at one of Sao Paulo's metro stations but authorities weren't taking any chances - they deployed riot police on the streets, helicopters circled overhead and tear gas was thrown to disperse protesters.
Later on in the morning, the crowds swelled but the atmosphere changed - with music playing and whistles being blown, it was more of a rally than a confrontation. The riot police lined up on the side of the street as well over a thousand demonstrators marched towards Sao Paulo's transport department - waiting in the wings in case any violence flared.
Altino Prazeres, the president of the union organising the strike, said that ruining the World Cup was not the strikers' intention. "I love soccer! I support our national team. The point is not to stop the Cup,'' he told the AP news agency earlier on Monday. "We want to resolve this today and all are willing to negotiate", he said. The state metro company has offered an 8.8% pay rise but this has been rejected by the strikers, who have demanded a 12.2% increase.
On Sunday, union members voted to continue their strike, disobeying a court order for them to return to work and a threat of dismissal by the state governor. On Monday, a spokesman for the company that runs the metro said 60 dismissal notices had been sent out to staff alleged to have been involved in strike-related disturbances in recent days.
Our correspondent in Sao Paulo says that police dispersed the protesters but that it was clear there was a great deal of bitterness about the money spent on the tournament. There are concerns that any continuation of the strike could affect the opening match between hosts Brazil and Croatia.
Arena Corinthians stadium is on the outskirts of Sao Paulo and access to the venue without public transport could be a huge challenge for fans. Preparations for the World Cup have been beset by construction delays and strikes but President Rousseff has said her government would "fully guarantee people's security" during the tournament.
Thousands of extra police and soldiers will be deployed to ensure the matches get under way smoothly. Last year, more than a million people took to the streets of major Brazilian cities to vent their anger at what they see as excessive spending on the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
The government is keen to prevent a repeat of some of the violence seen at those protests. (FA)
