Anti-Bush march paralyzes Sao Paulo financial center

A series of protests against the United States organized by Brazilian trade unions, political parties, social movements and even ecological groups, today preceded today the arrival of President George W. Bush in Sao Paulo, on the first leg of a tour of five Latin American countries.

The initial protest paralyzed for hours Paulista Avenida, an important Sao Paulo arterial road, and the financial heart of the largest city in South America, and attracted 6,000 demonstrators, according to the police, and 10,000 according to the organizers.

The demonstration, initially convened by groups interested in commemorating International Women’s Day, was quickly taken up by all organizations opposed to Bush’s presence in Sao Paulo.

“We want to be present dressed in red to show the blood that is being spilled throughout the world due to homicidal imperialist policies,” a leader of the National Students Union told EFE.