20 hurt in Brazil land clash

@9point intro = Twenty members of Brazil's homeless movement were wounded by bullets on August 8 when 530 shock troops of Brasilia's militarised police moved to evict more than 16,000 squatters living in tents in an area known as Villa Estructural on the outskirts of Brasilia.

Squatters defended themselves with sticks, rocks and molotov bombs; the three-hour clash ended with 44 arrests.

The militarised police insist that only rubber bullets were used against the squatters. However, all those wounded were hit with real bullets, according to doctors who treated the injured.

The government says the eviction was ordered because the homeless were illegally occupying property owned by three lumber companies and three supermarkets.

[From Weekly News Update on the Americas.]

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