The Anti-World Cup Graffiti Popping Up On Brazilian Streets

With the 2014 World Cup taking place in less than two weeks, anti-government sentiment among the Brazilian people has reached a fever pitch.  The glaring need for social infrastructure in the education, healthcare and transportation sectors of Brazil has been supplanted in the name of giving a facelift to the 12 cities where matches are to be held. The Brazilian taxpayers’ fear of being stuck with the World Cup's $11 billion price tag has been realized most noticeably with an increase in the cost of living since winning the hosting bid in 2007.

In addition to uncompleted development projects, events surrounding Brazil 2014 have been marred by the Brazilian government’s gross mismanagement of funds meant for urban redevelopment (which has been questioned time  and again) , limitations placed on small businesses in favor of corporate sponsors like Coke and McDonalds, the marginalization of Afro-Brazilians, police brutality and forceful evictions in an increasingly overpriced housing market that has left thousands of Brazilians, including indigenous communities in limbo.

In protest, Brazilians have utilized multiple means of social activism and organizing to ensure that their discontent with the government’s extravagance does not go unnoticed — political graffiti being one of them. Street artists have taken the realities of the Brazilian people in the run up to the World Cup and transformed them into compelling images which cannot be ignored by the thousands of tourists who will soon be descending on their country. Click through the gallery above for a sampling of a few of the murals that sum up the popular feelings of Brazilians towards the World Cup.

[All images via r/graffiti]