City employees in Atlanta, Georgia, discarded tents, medication, and personal identification belonging to unhoused individuals at a public park less than a mile from a prominent World Cup watch party venue, according to The Guardian.
The incident drew immediate condemnation from local activists and an official, who said it violated municipal protocols.
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These procedures were established after a fatal incident last year when a city worker driving a front loader crushed and killed Cornelius Taylor inside his tent during an encampment clearance.
The sweep highlights growing tensions over the management of thousands of displaced residents as the international soccer tournament approaches its final matches.
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A municipal representative countered the criticism by stating the location, which housed about 15 residents for months, was not an official encampment and denied the action constituted a formal sweep.
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“This is what happens when you apply these incredibly violent economic forces to these cities … it's happened at every World Cup I've been to,” said Barney Ronay, chief sports writer.
