Brazilian landless group ends ministry occupation

[struggle4progress]

By Andrew Hay

BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Over 1,000 landless peasants ended their occupation of Brazil's finance ministry on Thursday after morethan seven hours, failing to win more funds for land reform but gaining the promise of a meeting with the president to argue their case.

Peasant families ended the peaceful demonstration without damaging the ministry in the heart of Brazil's political capital, but expresseddisappointment at the lack of results.

"This was a start. We wanted more but didn't want any confrontation," said Josafa da Silva, 40, who traveled from the central state ofMinas Gerais and planned to return to his landless encampment there the same night.

Still, the leaders of the Landless Liberation Movement that organized the invasion called it a victory. The movement is one of the manyorganizations advocating land redistribution in Brazil, one of the world's most unequal societies. <snip>

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