Landless Workers' Movement rallies in São Paulo and Minas Gerais
The landless rural workers of São Paulo and Minas Gerais marched demanding land expropriation.
During the so-called National Fight Day, there were protests and political actions defending land issues, for land reform and for all families to be settled by the end of President Rousseff's government. The landless rural workers of São Paulo and Minas Gerais marched Tuesday (Aug. 18) demanding land expropriation.
In São Paulo, according to the Landless Workers' Movement (MST), about 450 people from rural areas of the state held a demonstration on Rodovia Abrão Assed, heading towards the city of Ribeirão Preto. They walked from 6am to 10am, for ten kilometers, and stopped to rest. They should resume the march on Wednesday (Aug. 19), when they will walk over 15 kilometers to the entrance of Ribeirão Preto where they will settle a camp.
On Thursday (Aug. 20), the group will stop the march at the center of Ribeirao Preto, where other groups will join them to organize demonstrations against the economic policy of the federal government and in defense of democracy. Workers are involved especially in the land ownership of Martinópolis farm, where the camp Alexandra Kollontai is settled for more than seven years, in the city of Serrana.
In Minas Gerais, the workers staged protests through the center of Belo Horizonte, towards Tiradentes Palace (headquarters of the state government) where, according to Silvio Netto, MST state coordinator, the secretary of agricultural development, Glênio Martins, announced the land expropriation of three farms that were on the agenda. Netto said the group will settle its camp near the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais until Thursday, when they will hold demonstrations defending democracy and against the fiscal adjustment. Although acknowledging the opening of the state government for dialogue on the MST claims, he said that "only talk is not enough", concrete actions are necessary.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Landless Workers' Movement rallies in São Paulo and Minas Gerais
