In Rio, Brazil’s cup of shame overflows

Even as FIFA World Cup 2014 kicked off in Brazil, 

reports have surfaced revealing the tournament's 

dark side. Riot police came down heavily on 

protestors calling for a boycott of the World Cup, 

arresting activists on the eve of the inaugural match 

between Brazil and Croatia. Government forces were 

alleged to have cracked down on the inhabitants of 

the slums of Rio de Janeiro and evicted them from 

their homes at gunpoint. The incident, not the first 

of such uses of force on Brazil’s poor, came in for 

sharp criticism from several quarters. This 

compilation of images throws light on a dark and 

disturbing side of Brazil's World Cup euphoria.