Obama cancels public speech in Rio square: embassy

[Judi Lynn]

Obama cancels public speech in Rio square: embassy
(AFP) – 6 hours ago

BRASILIA — President Barack Obama has cancelled a public speech he was scheduled to deliver Sunday in a Rio square during his upcoming visit to Brazil, the US embassy in Brasilia said.

The speech in the historic plaza known as Cinelandia, in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, "is cancelled," an embassy spokeswoman told AFP.

Obama instead will deliver remarks at Rio's Municipal Theatre, the official said, without specifying whether it would be open to the public or exclusively for invited guests.

No explanation for the change of venue was given by the embassy. Brazilian authorities have laid out a heavy security presence for Obama's two-day visit to South America's largest nation, and police in Rio had closed numerous streets from midnight Thursday in preparation.

On Thursday, members of an advance US security team were seen inspecting the surroundings of Cinelandia, where anti-US banners could be seen hanging from a road-side fence.

More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9L7zjYUWD3T0qZkVmjFnq15a58g?docId=CNG.d09217177032cbbc9a7b49e80f70edcb.331

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A memory refresher concerning _{George W. Bush's} visit to Brazil. The signs reading "Fora Bush" are requesting he leaves Brazil!







Massive protests against Bush’s visit to Brazil

Brazilian social movements were planning massive demonstrations against a visit to their country by U.S. President George W. Bush .

Bush begins his official, 24-hour visit tonight, and since early in the morning, Brazilians have taken to the streets of the nation’s 27 states to shout “Bush out!”

The protests actually began earlier in the week, and have become stronger every day, which is why nobody is questioning how large they will be on Thursday.

More:
http://neoncobra.blogspot.com/2007/03/massive-protests-against-bushs-visit-to.html

[EFerrari]

1. Poor Lula, lol. Protecting Bush from people he likely agreed with.

With all the unrest around the world, it probably isn't a good time for politicians to give outdoor speeches.

[rabs]

2. Welcome to Rio ...

... and Obama is not even there yet.













Protest against Obama's visit erupted in Rio this evening from anti-american groups.

A molotov cocktail was thrown at the gate of the U.S. Consulate in Rio. A Brazilian security guard suffered burns. Then came the tear gas.

Protesters said they would shower Obama with shoes if he spoke in downtown Rio (now canceled.) Also a cleansing of the Cinelândia square where Obama was to have spoken had been planned "with music and bleach after the appearance of the leader of the empire."
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Jornal do Brasil
O protesto de movimentos antiamericanos contra a visita do presidente Barack Obama ao Brasil acabou em confronto entre manifestantes e a polícia, no Rio de Janeiro. A confusão começou quando o grupo se deslocou até o consulado americano no Rio de Janeiro. Em frente ao prédio, eles leram um texto e um dos manifestantes jogou um coquetel molotov na direção da entrada do prédio. A bomba incediaria atingiu um integrante da segurança do consulado, que correu com as roupas em chamas.

Vamos lavar com criolina e cloro a nossa Cinelândia após a passagem do líder do império", afirmou Miguel Malheiros, da coordenação da CSP.

[Judi Lynn]

3. So now the picture forms about why they decided to cancel that speech! Good grief!

If only he'd take this moment to start pulling back and reforming his policies. Surely it should tell him something huge is in the balance.

Thank you for these fantastic photos. I hope you'll consider posting them in LBN. As a matter of fact I saw some poster somewhere saying he/she would love to see the new ones which will concern Obama's trip.

It really hurts seeing they have no choice but to print "Fora Obama" now for their signs. They're calling it the way they see it. What a shame this comes when we have a Democratic President.

He needs to think for himself, and remember the traditions of the Democratic Party, the party which always fought for the working class and the poor.