500 Protesters Who Broke Into Brazilian Congress Are in Jail

Members of Brazil’s Movement for Liberation of the Landless (Movimento de Libertação dos Sem Terra) (MLST), a splinter group that broke off from the Landless Rural Worker Movement (MST), claim that they were met aggressively by guards when they attempted to enter the Congress building (Congresso Nacional) yesterday, June 6.

As a result the building was invaded violently and there was a lot of material damage, with 20 injured people treated at the Chamber of Deputies first aid station.

Reports are that 18 of the injured were security guards and two were protesters. The most serious injury was sustained by the coordinator of Logistic Support at the Department of the Legislative Police (Apoio Logí­stico do Departamento de Polí­cia Legislativa), Normando Fernandes, who had a grave head injury and remains in the hospital.

The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Aldo Rebelo (Partido Comunista do Brazil) ordered the demonstrators arrested.

Meanwhile, one of the MLST leaders, Marcos Praxedes, declared that the group wanted to present a list of grievances but were barred by security guards.

He said the violence began when guards attacked the MLST protesters. "They came after us and we just defended ourselves," he declared.

It is estimated that as many as 700 demonstrators entered the Congress building at the Annex 2 entrance where they broke through a glass door.

Around 500 protesters have been detained by the police and after spending the night at the sports gymnasium Nilson Nelson are being transferred today to the Papuda jail in capital Brasí­lia.

Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Decides to Become a Shipbuilding Power

Tuesday, February 7, witnessed the first step towards the concretization of the Technological Improvement ...

The Official Word on Vietnam President’s Visit to Brazil

The Brazilian and the Vietnam governments have issued a joint communiqué at the end ...

Bogota Models Sin Hambre Program on Brazil’s Zero Hunger

Luis Eduardo Garzon, mayor of Bogota, capital of Colombia, affirmed that the Administration of ...

Brazil Tries to Sell New Trade Image, Beyond Raw Material

There is a need for Brazil to promote its goods overseas. Although trade has ...

Brazil’s Women Power Movement to Vote and Be Voted

Groups of women from around the country are meeting to encourage female participation in ...

Lula Has Buried Brazil’s Last Hopes

If not maddened by it, whoever bothered to review the statements, interviews, debates, and ...

Federal Univesity Branches Are Spreading Throughout Brazil, Says Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the University for All Program ...

Brazil’s Central Bank’s Chief Keeps Post and Autonomy

At the inauguration ceremony of Brazil’s new Minister of Finance, Guido Mantega, Tuesday, March ...

12 Million Brazilians Live in Shantytowns. 94% Say They Are Happy

A survey conducted in 63 slums, or favelas, in 35 cities throughout Brazil, shows ...

Brazil’s Finance Minister on US Debt: ‘Not Finding a Solution Is Madness’

While participating at the 38th assembly of the Economic and Social Development Council (“CDES”), ...