Protesters march in Sao Paulo ahead of World Cup

SAO PAULO — Some 4,000 protesters in Brazil’s biggest city marched peacefully Wednesday night on the stadium that will host the World Cup’s opening match next week, calling on the government to provide more low-income housing. In the latest protest by Brazilians ahead of soccer’s premier event, the demonstrators made their way down a main thoroughfare in eastern Sao Paulo holding aloft banners and blocking traffic. The Homeless Workers Movement organized the march, which like three similar protests spearheaded by the group was carried out in a peaceful manner. Last year, anti-government protests fueled in part by anger over the billions spent to host the World Cup took over streets in cities across Brazil during the Confederations Cup, a soccer tournament that is a warm-up event for the World Cup. Several protests saw violent clashes between police and demonstrators.