BRAZIL: May Day Will Kick Off Two-Week March by Landless Protesters

[struggle4progress]

Mario Osava


RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 29 (IPS) - The massive march that will set out this Sunday - May Day - and reach the Brazilian capital on May 17 has been organised by the Landless Workers Movement (MST) to protest the government's economic policies, which are an obstacle to agrarian reform, the activists say.

Goiania, the capital of the state of Goiás and located 210 km from Brasilia, will be the starting point for the 12,722 marchers. All of them will be wearing badges to identify them as participants in the protest, to ”prevent infiltration,” noted Joao Pedro Stédile, an MST national coordinator.

The goal of the march is ”to promote debate and create awareness of the need for agrarian reform,” Stédile told a press conference on Thursday.

The MST leader added that land reform is currently moving forward at a ”snail's pace,” despite the ”people's government” of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former trade union leader. <snip>

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=28502