No incidents in pro-democracy rallies

No incidents were reported in the protests rallied in the country's main capitals, organized by the Central Workers' Union (CUT), the Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST), the National Students' Union (UNE) and other social organizations. Participants took to the streets defending President Rousseff's mandate with varying claims according to the political and economic interests of each group, ranging from protest against a proposal to relax outsourcing regulations to fiscal adjustment measures.

In São Paulo, protesters assembled in Largo da Batata, in the west of the city. Several trade union leaders, students and political organizations took part in the rally. In Rio de Janeiro, demonstrators gathered in Largo da Candelária, central area of the city. For the director of the Oil Workers' Union Federation (FUP), Joacir Pedro, action should be taken to counter any attempts to undermine the government. According to him, who is also president of the Oil Ship Industry Workers' Forum, the sector has sharply increased since the beginning of former president Lula's government when the number of workers jumped from 3,000 to 80,000, with the decision to build ships and oil platforms in Brazil.

When they reached the Ministry of Finance, protesters occupied the stairs of the building for a few minutes. The group stopped in front of the office of lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha (member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party), shouting for his resignation from the presidency of the house and shouting words against the bill to lower the legal liability age.

MTST coordinator Felipe Brito said that the purpose of the demonstration was "to rebut attacks from the conservative, reactionary, authoritarian and anti-people movement," which he said is personified by Cunha. "We want the government to review the recessive policies they are carrying out to deal with the crisis, because the workers are the most vulnerable sector.”

Teacher Marisa Gonçalves, 54, from the Education Professionals Union of Duque de Caxias, joined the rally to protest against measures she considers conservative, including the fiscal adjustment, Agenda Brazil and the Outsourcing Bill. She advocates unity among left-wingers and wants the government to change its position. "It's essential to unify the left-wing now. We will only be able to confront it if the left-wing is united."

Student Vitor de Oliveira, 21, took part in the demonstration and said he is pessimistic. For him, the left-wing is trapped: "You have a government that's supposed to be left-wing but actually adopts right-wing measures, so we got kind of stuck. But we have to put pressure, without defending the government or backing the coup."

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta