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![A 20,000-strong army of local and federal police officers, and military troops, are set to reinforce security in Rio, local authorities announced on Wednesday [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/133330590_13999633580841n.jpg)
A 20,000-strong army of local and federal police officers, and military troops, are set to reinforce security in Rio, local authorities announced on Wednesday [Xinhua]
A 20,000-strong army of local and federal police officers, and military troops, are set to reinforce security in Rio, local authorities announced on Wednesday.
The additional security forces will start patrolling city streets Friday, May 23, well before the World Cup kicks off on June 12, and remain until the end of the month-long tournament.
The beefed up security forces will also have extra patrol cars, helicopters and boats at their disposal.
The decision follows announcements by Brazilian activist groups, such as the Movement of Workers Without Shelter (MTST), to protest massive government spending on such sporting events during the World Cup games.
Authorities said they will be monitoring social networks and websites for news of planned anti-government marches and demonstrations.
Last year Brazil saw the biggest protests in more than 20 years, after officials announced a hike in transit fares.
Many of those protests, which coincided with the FIFA Confederations Cup games, took place outside stadiums and ended in violent clashes with security forces.
Meanwhile, President Dilma Rousseff has increased security across Brazil even as she gears up for campaigning for her re-election after the World Cup. Brazil goes to polls on 5th October this year.
Rousseff has tried to convince Brazilians that the new facilities were aimed primarily at improving their well-being.
“The investments will be good for the World Cup, but much more important for meeting Brazil’s own growth in demand,” Rousseff argued in a radio program yesterday.
TBP and Agencies
