São Paulo, 9/8/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Cry of the Excluded movement demonstartion this September 7 (Brazil's Independence Day) was a success in that it mobilized the public, provoked a debate and made the government aware of the need to promote changes, says Ari Aberti, one of the movement's coordinators. According to Aberti, there were 120,000 people in Aparecida do Norte, state of São Paulo, where they protested against social exclusion and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement.
Aberti declared that the fact that Brazil has a popular government does not weaken the Cry of the Excluded movement, which is celebrating its 9th anniversay. The theme of this year's demonstration was "Take your hands off me... Brazi is ours." Aberti explained that the movement is not against the government, but against social exclusion. He pointed out that the country still needs land reform and has too many people who are unemployed.
The Cry of the Excluded will be in Brasilia on September 16 to deliver a petition for a plebiscite on membership in the FTAA. Aberti warned that the FTAA is not just a trade agreement but a serious threat to Brazilian sovereignity. "We want people to discuss these issues. We have to ensure that the public that elected Lula with so much hope is not disappointed. Our contribution is to get people involved," said Aberti, adding that only public participation will make those hopes become reality.
The union leader, Luis Marinho, of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), and the leader of the Landless Rural Worker Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) (MST), João Pedro Stédile, also participated in the demonstration in Aparecida.
There were other demonstrations by the movement throughout Brazil; a total of 2,500 of them. In the capital of São Paulo, 3,000 people demonstrated in the center of the city.
The Cry of the Excluded movement was born during a Catholic church fraternity campaign in 1995 and has grown to include most countries in South America and the Caribbean region. (AB)
