Priscila Mazenotti Reporters Agência Brasil

Brasília – For the first time a woman, president Dilma Rousseff, reviewed the troops and then authorized the Independence Day parade to begin. Among those who passed in front of the reviewing stand: Olympic swimmer Cesar Cielo, 1,200 students, veterans of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force that saw combat in Italy during the Second World War, military vehicles, the Mounted Guard (“Guarda Montada”) on their horses and marching soldiers from all the branches of the Armed Forces. The parade traditionally ends with a human pyramid on motorcycles and a flyover by the acrobatic flying squadron (“Esquadrilha da Fumaça”).

This year, there was also a March Against Corruption that took place on the opposite side of the Mall (“Esplanada”). A rigid security scheme kept the two groups separate. The anti-corruption march was organized through social networks and did not have political party participation.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English – content modified

Link – Mais de 35 mil pessoas devem participar das comemorações do 7 de Setembro na Esplanada