Brazilians protest over recession

President Lula has urged patience as he implements his reforms

Thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets in protest at the slow recovery of the country's worst recession in more than a decade.

Union members, the unemployed, and landless activists were among several thousand marching in Sao Paulo alone, Brazil's financial and industrial hub.

President Lula da Silva has promised to create jobs and redistribute wealth.

The Brazilian economy is showing signs of recovery, but protesters say the pace of recovery is not quick enough.

In May, President Lula - who has been in office 18 months - defended his economic policies, saying his government's tough measures had helped him achieve his main aim of reducing inflation.

And the government this week reported industrial growth in May for the first time in more than a year, as well as a fall in unemployment.

'Hurry up'

But protesters say that, although they still support President Lula, the pace of recovery is still too slow to be felt by most of the 175 million population, a third of whom live in poverty.

"It's tough to live in a country that's so big and rich in resources without hope," Cesar Manuel Silva, a 65-year-old labourer who has not had regular work in five years, told the Associated Press.

"I voted for him, but I expected a quicker recovery," said 44-year-old unemployed auto worker Creusa Pereira Goncalves.

"We don't oppose Lula, we're here to tell him to hurry up," CUT union official Joao Osorio was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

As well as Sao Paulo, demonstrations were held in the capital Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and other major cities across the country.