Under the motto “Brazil: 200 years of (in)dependence. For whom?”, the Grito dos Excluídos promoted its 28th edition with demonstrations in 51 cities in 25 states. Organized by popular and urban movements, unions and pastorals of the Catholic Church, the event had as demands work, housing, land, food and democracy.
Sao Paulo
Under persistent rain and a cold of 14ºC, the Grito dos Excluídos took over Praça da Sé in São Paulo, in the center of the capital. The act began with a solidarity action for the homeless, around 7 am, with the offering of a breakfast. “It’s a cry against hunger. We are in the fight for the fight against hunger to be at the center of politics. Brazil cannot be satisfied with so many people going hungry”, said Kelli Mafort, from the national coordination of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST).
Edson Veloso, 38, has been unemployed for two years and was one of those who received breakfast. He spends the night in a city hall shelter in the Liberdade neighborhood, but remains on the streets during the day. “I used to work as a bricklayer’s servant, I had my own little corner, the pandemic came and there were no more jobs”, he says. This is the second time he has been on the street. “For me, Independence Day is just any day. Tomorrow I will have to do my runs again”, he laments.
Rio de Janeiro
The Grito dos Excluídos brought together representatives of social movements, collectives, unions and pastorals in the center of the Rio de Janeiro capital this September 7th. Even without the military parade on Avenida Presidente Vargas, the act was kept in place, starting at Rua Uruguaiana, and continued on a walk to Cais do Valongo, in the port region.
The act ended with the reading of the Letter of the Excluded, at the landing site of millions of enslaved people brought from Africa to Brazil and listed as a World Heritage Site, to remind you that slavery in the country was only abolished 66 years after Independence.
The city dawned with a huge banner in Arcos da Lapa, which read “Independence is a Brazil without hunger”, signed by the Movement of Small Farmers (MPA), Movement of People Affected by Dams (MBA), Movement of Homeless Workers ( MTST) and United Movement of Street Vendors (MUCA). In the morning, the MPA also promoted the Free Fair Independence is Brazil without Hunger, in the Morro dos Prazeres Community, with the donation of 5 tons of food.
Historic
Held since 1995, the Grito dos Excluídos takes place in parallel with the 7th of September parades. Every year, the event brings together people from vulnerable populations who consider themselves socially and historically excluded. Originally promoted by the Catholic Church, the Grito brings together, in addition to popular movements, different religious manifestations.
The states that had acts of the Cry of the Excluded were Acre, Alagoas, Amapá, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe and Tocantins.
In Brasília, the demonstrations were postponed to 3 pm on Saturday (10), with concentration in front of the National Museum. At the same time, a new act of the Cry of the Excluded is planned under the open space of the Museum of Art of São Paulo (MASP).
Expanded article at 3:30 pm
