adminPOLICE fired teargas and flash grenades at anti-World Cup protesters trying to block part of the main highway leading to São Paulo’s stadium hours before it was due to host the opening match of the tournament, injuring two CNN journalists in the process.Amid a heavy security presence in the city, with military helicopters hovering overhead, police also used rubber truncheons to disperse about 100 demonstrators that tried to block the Radial Leste highway, about 11km from the Arena Corinthians.
CNN’s Brazil bureau chief Shasta Darlington suffered a minor cut on her arm and producer Barbara Arvanitidis incurred a wrist injury after the pair were struck by a teargas cannister, CNN reported. Arvantidis’s colleague Alex Thomas, posted a photograph online of her slumped against a wall.
Another picture showed a protester apparently being pepper sprayed while being held round the neck by a policeman.
There were also reports that a German TV producer had been hit on the arm by a rubber bullet. A military police spokesman told Reuters at least five people had been injured. At least one person was reported to have been arrested. — The Guardian
Online Reporter