Brazil's landless rural workers occupy Congress

BRASILIA, Brazil
More than 1,000 landless rural workers temporarily occupied the Lower House of Brazil's Congress on Tuesday, ransacking part of the building and its installations, witnesses said.

The demonstrators, who demanded more funds and legislative reform to accelerate agrarian reform, threw objects and broke a glass entrance to the building with sticks and other make-shift weapons.

The protesters overturned a car and scuffled with security forces, destroyed computer terminals within the building and temporarily occupied its main lobby. Congressional security officials said 20 people were hurt, at least one seriously.

Congress President Aldo Rebelo had called on the army to help re-establish public security and arrest the protesters.

The group said 1,200 people participated in the protest. They abandoned Congress after more than one hour and military police surrounded the building.

Leaders of the Movement for the Liberation of the Landless (MLST) said they came to present their demands to congressional leaders before being turned back by guards.

They demanded the annulment of a law that prohibits land occupied by landless rural workers to be redistributed to them by the state.

The MLST's leader, Bruno Maranhao, has close ties to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party.

Landless workers, who traditionally backed Lula, have criticized the government for doing too little to accelerate land reform. Various landless groups invaded farms and ranches earlier this year.

Land owners say the government has done too little to protect their property against illegal invasions by squatters.