April 17th: Global Action Day of Farmers' Struggles

On April 17th, global action day of struggles for the rights of farmers and landless, many actions are being planned in several countries. The international farmers organization Via Campesina annually commemorates the 19 MST members who were assassinated on April 17th 1996 in Brazil by paramilitary police, 69 were severely wounded.

In Latin America, the Continental Campaign against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA/ ALCA) is calling to protests afainst the bilateral trade agreement with the US which is to be signed in Quito. Many actions were already underway on April 15 in Bolivia, Venezuela and other countries:
Ecuador:  http://www.ecuador.indymedia.org/es/2004/04/5281.shtml
Peru:  http://movimientos.org/noalca/show_text.php3?key=2719
Colombia:  http://www.colombia.indymedia.org/news/2004/04/12033.php

The Brazilian movement of landless people MST is carrying out several occupations of land and authorities.
MST action days:  http://www.brasil.indymedia.org/pt/blue/2004/04/277702.shtml
INCRA land reform office in Rio de Janeiro occupied:  http://www.brasil.indymedia.org/pt/blue/2004/04/277702.shtml

There will be actions in Europe as well. For instance, groups will be protesting against genetically modified food in several German cities, and a big demonstration with farmers and consumers' organizations in Stuttgart on Sunday, April 18, due to new laws on labelling genetically modified food in the EU (see  http://germany.indymedia.org/2004/04/80218.shtml).

More information:
 http://www.mst.org.br/ : MST Brazil |  http://global.so36.net/en/ : texts for the Global Action Day April 17 | www.viacampesina.org : Via Campesina

(translation of:  http://de.indymedia.org/2004/04/80301.shtml)