As protests in Brazil continue despite the country's continued hosting of the FIFA Confederations Cup and preparation for the 2014 World Cup, fans of the tournament both in Brazil and watching from home are wondering whether or not FIFA will cancel the upcoming semifinal match between the host nation and the Uruguayan national team.
Central Deportiva reports that multiple political and social organizations asked Brazil's government to suspend the June 26 match because there is a strong fear that the protests taking place outside the Mineirao Stadium in Brazil could turn extremely violent. Additionally, suspending the match would prevent vandals from entering the stadium where they could potentially do harm to the inside.
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37 people were injured and another 32 arrested during a Confederations Cup match between Japan and Mexico and in order to prevent any further harm to the city, stadium and people of Brazil, a number of individuals and organizations are requesting this postponement.
The protests by the thousands parading the streets of Brazil center on the improvement of working conditions for those in the workforce along with the desire for better public services. While the latest occurrences of protesting have been substantial, the Times Daily notes that one of the reasons certain individuals want the Brazil vs. Uruguay match suspended is because nearly 100,000 people are expected to protest before the start of the match.
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Officials have also declared the day a holiday in Belo Horizonte and with a high number of people expected to partake in the remonstrations, police personnel are preparing for fights and verbal confrontation with these protesters. It is also reported by the Times Daily that the city of Belo Horizonte has seen its fair share of violence between police officers and protesters in recent years, so the occurrence of more protesting - even if on a bigger scale because the people are unhappy with the cost of the upcoming World Cup - doesn't come as a complete surprise to local officials.
In an effort to bury speculation that the upcoming semifinal will in fact be suspended, FIFA released a statement indicating that while they support the people's ability to speak their minds and initiate their freedom of speech rights, they have no plans to postpone or cancel the Brazil vs. Uruguay match.
We support and acknowledge the right of free speech and to demonstrate peacefully and condemn any form of violence. We are in constant contact with the local authorities and have full trust in the security arrangements in place. We will continue to monitor the situation. At no stage did FIFA, the Local Organizing Committee nor the Federal Government discuss or consider to cancel the FIFA Confederations Cup. We are in constant contact with all stakeholders, including the teams, and keep them updated on all arrangements made. We have not received any requests to leave Brazil from any team.
While Brazil and rising star Neymar are slated to meet Luis Suarez and Uruguay in one semifinal, 2006 World Cup champion Italy prepares for their semifinal contest against 2012 European champion and defending World Cup champion Spain.
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