The number of people that have signed up to take part and show their support for the Demonstration for the Salvation of the Leather and Shoe Sector" has increased by 139% from 345 to 825.

Demonstrators will march in Brasilia in an attempt to raise awareness of the current situation of the industry, and in particular regarding the job losses that are happening. According to the organisers, thousands of workers are unemployed and dozens of shoe factories have closed down since December 2005 as a result of various factors such as the low US dollar exchange rate (which has dropped 40% in the last two years), a huge tax burden and competition from Chinese and Asian products both in the domestic and international markets.

The protestors left Novo Hamburgo on May 8, stopping in Porto Alegre, where the demonstrators hoped to meet Germano Rigotto, governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. They then made the long drive to Brasilia where they were expecting to meet President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as well as Dilma Rousseff, Home Office Minister; Guido Mantega, Minister of the Economy; Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labour; and Luiz Fernando Furlan, Minister of Development, Industry and Trade.

Leaders of the protest have prepared a document summarising the problems facing the industry, which will be delivered to the President and members of Congress.

The focus is still the overvaluation of the Real (R$) but our claims focus mainly on the social effect caused by massive job losses in the leather and shoe sector," the organisers said.