![image: [ Sao Paulo: industrial and financial centre of Brazil ]](/olmedia/65000/images/_66718_Copy_of_sao_paulo.jpg)
The Brazilian landless peasant movement, the MST, has organised simultaneous occupations of government buildings in more than ten state capitals to pressure the federal government to give out more land to landless families. A group of around 1000 people occupied the State Ministry of Finances in Sao Paulo from where Candace Piette.
In the centre of Sao Paulo stands the Ministry of Finances. It is here that 20% of the Brazilian government's revenues are gathered.
But, inside, the polished floors are covered with foam mattresses and sleeping bodies. These are country people, around a thousand of them.
Their boots are covered with red earth, toddlers wander around the guitarists singing country songs.
The police presence is discreet - the few officers about are unarmed.
Protests across Brazil
The MST's leaders say the protest is national.
Invasions are happening in at least ten states and they want to put pressure on the government to speed up the agrarian reform process in Brazil.
They say there are around 50,000 families camped out, waiting for land.
They also want lines of credit for small farmers and for agricultural co-operatives. Many, they say, are struggling against world food prices and need new technology to compete.
The MST, which now has much national sympathy, was well received in Sao Paulo.
But many of the movement's requests can only be met by the federal government in Brazilia, where the purse strings for agricultural credit and reform are held.
The MST's invasions may speed up negotiations with the government, but they may still have a long road to travel before they achieve their goal.
Brazilian Government site (in Portuguese)
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