I wonder on Wednesday …

My daughter and her partner live in a favela in Rio de Janeiro along with many thousands of lowly paid key-workers   People who provide all the services, not just unskilled, but nurses, teachers, and social workers all  needed to run and maintain a busy and growing city.  They in turn need cheap and reliable public services such as schools, libraries, hospitals, and public transport.  They will not benefit from the World Cup or the Olympics.  As we speak the citizens of Rio are on the streets demonstrating predominantly against the rising bus-fares.  They are also speaking out about other shortcomings that the favela dwellers are facing while the world looks on at the preparations for the Olympics and the World Cup and the millions of Real that is being poured to these overexposed spectacles  

We have heard about the misbehaviour of the demonstrators and the harm caused to the policemen.  Strangely a killing of an innocent favela child by a police attack is overlooked or given minimum media coverage .    

We hear reports of anarchists and trouble makers marauding the streets in their thousands. My daughter is not a member of a leftist organisation, or a rioter but a worker trying to make ends meet, while getting to and from work and provide a good service for the city that is letting her down.My daughter did join the demonstrators yesterday afternoon when she had finished work.  My son-in-law joined her later as he had a meeting at work until 7.30.  He told me since, many others joined at that time like him not wishing to have damaging effect but just to make a point.   However he did understand how the demonstrators might become more aggressive; as it seems the  transport is not a public service it is a money making concern that can raise the costs without notification or apparent reason. It is not interested in public health and safety. The government are not acting on behalf of the people as they are financed by the Transport Companies.  It not surprising the the people of Rio are very angry and running out of peaceful ways in which to make their opinions heard.