Demonstrators start to disperse in Brasília

After walking across all of the Esplanade of Ministries, where the ministry buildings are located, towards the National Congress building, the protesters attending the Ocupa Brasília (“Occupy Brasília,” in a literal English translation) started to disperse, heading for other parts of Brazil's capital city.

The demonstrators, estimated by the Military Police to total some 35 thousand people, called for the ouster of President Michel Temer and protested against the proposed pension and labor reforms, currently under deliberation in Congress.

The march lasted over five hours, as demonstrators marched along both sides of the Esplanade of Ministries, going from the parking lot of the Mané Garrincha Stadium, all the way to the Monumental Axis.

The protest was marked by moments of violence, as hooded protesters teased the police, which made a reaction. Union leaders spoke against the reforms, while demonstrators called for the end of corruption and the removal of the president. The demonstrators also protested against what they called “setbacks for rights.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira