体坛英语新闻：Widespread demonstrations mark World Cup draw

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- With the world watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw in the city of Rio de Janeiro, protestors took to the streets on Saturday.

A variety of causes took people to the Gloria Marina, the location of the Draw, but a heavy police force has been installed to make sure that the demonstrators stay well away from the event.

Rio de Janeiro's city and state government used roughly 20 million US dollars of taxpayer money in order to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw in the city of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Ironically, the event was not open to the public and demonstrators expressed their disapproval outside of the venue. One such sign displayed in English read, "20 million US dollars public money spent in this private 'party'." Another sign read "where is the money?"

Participants in the demonstration believe it is a serious injustice to the city, wasting money that could and should be used towards more important issues such as improving public hospitals and schools.

Another branch of protestors called for the president of the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) Ricardo Teixeira to step down, carrying signs that read "Out Ricardo Teixeira."

Teixeira has been in command of the CBF for nearly 20 years. He recently announced his plan to step down in 2015 and candidate himself for the president of FIFA.

Perhaps the most legitimate group to demonstrate in front of the FIFA World Cup Brazil Preliminary Draw was The Social Committee of the 2014 World Cup and Olympic Games (or Comite Social da Copa 2014 e dos Jogos Olimpicos, in Portuguese).

Led by professor Marcelo Braga Edmundo of the UFRJ (the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), the organization hopes to catch the attention of the international media and expose the problems that the World Cup and Olympic Games have brought to the community, principally the poor.

According to Edmundo, some 20,000 people from eight communities will be forced to leave their homes in order for the widening of roads near stadiums such as the Engenhao and the Maracana stadium. The committee hopes to reach its goal of 2,000 activists in Saturday's demonstration.

Additionally, a new expressway will be built, called the Transcarioca, connecting Rio's international airport to the West Zone and Barra de Tijuca, the center of athlete housing and competition, causing further need to destroy housing in order to build roadway. Habitants of Vila Harmonia, Restinga and Recreio 2 that have already been forced to leave their homes have yet to receive any sort of compensation and/or alternative locations to live.

Another disturbing fact presented by the group of professors is the lack of transparency in relation to costs of construction.