About 150 masked protesters were trying to reach the Maracana stadium ahead of the match between Argentina and Bosnia on Sunday.

Chanting anti-FIFA slogans and carrying banners that read “FIFA go home,” the protesters demonstrated against public spending for the tournament.

Similar protests were also held in a number of cities including Brasilia and Porto Alegre.

On Saturday, Brazilian police arrested at least 18 people during protests against the World Cup soccer tournament across the country.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s human rights minister, Ideli Salvatti, criticized the police for taking harsh measures against the demonstrators during anti-World Cup protests in Sao Paulo on June 12, the opening day of the tournament.

Just hours ahead of the opening match, Brazilian police used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to break up the protests in Sao Paulo.

Brazil has seen almost daily protests over the multi-billion-dollar costs of hosting the football tournament. Critics say the USD 11-billion being spent on the international sports event should have been invested in better health, education services, transportation, and housing for Brazilians.

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http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/06/16/367138/brazil-police-disperse-protesters-in-rio/