Protests will be held today in Washington, New York City, Boston and Montreal to protest the political imprisonment of Lula, the popular former President of Brazil. Lula, a former union president, focused on the needs of the poor and working people during his two terms and, despite being jailed on April 7 for “undetermined actions,” is seeking the presidency as a leader of the Workers Party. The AFL-CIO released “Defending Democracy in Brazil” on July 26 to support free democratic elections, human and labor rights in Brazil. The Solidarity Center called Lula’s jailing “a politically motivated attempt to disqualify him as a candidate for president.” See Calendar at right for details on the 1p demonstration in DC.