Riots Break Out In Sao Paulo, As Brazilians Protest 2014 World Cup (Photos)

Although Brazilians love their soccer, tensions in the country have mounted over hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and they only got worse as the games began Thursday.

Brazil has funneled $11.5 billion into the event while some of the country lives in poverty. And as it’s been pointed out, FIFA makes most of the profit off of the World Cup, rather than the host country.

So hours before the matchup between Brazil and Croatia began, protesters gathered in the streets of Sao Paulo trying to block off the route to the Arena Corinthians, and things escalated from there.

Police in riot gear used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, as protests took a violent turn. Several people were arrested, and others were hurt.

Below are some images of the protests.

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