Women protest World Cup for stealing husbands, boyfriends

A group of women in Shanghai staged a series of small public protests against the World Cup on Tuesday, complaining that their husbands and boyfriends have been inattentive ever since the tournament began.

Onlookers exchanged words with the 12 women as they moved from a subway station to a park to commercial area with signs bearing the crossed-out portraits of soccer stars and slogans written on their backs.

The group, made up of office workers, nurses, models, housewives and one pregnant woman, griped that their partners' late nights and gambling losses have seriously impacted their private lives.

The small flash mob held a banner while shouting slogans, such as "You keep on enjoying your Carnivàle while I'm here all alone."

"We just want to stress that family always comes first," said a model surnamed Wang who organized the demonstrations.