In the second half of 2000, I accompanied the final phase of a land occupation campaign in Rio de Janeiro state. Organized by the Rio de Janeiro Landless Workers Movement (MST/RJ), this campaign involved a series of preparatory meetings, called mass front meetings. Starting with a description and analysis of some of these meetings, I examine how the campaign process unfolded. Focusing on the viewpoint of the organizers, I present the adopted strategies and discuss their limitations, possibilities and contradictions. From a wider viewpoint, the text looks to contribute to the current debate concerning the formation of social movements in Brazil. To this end, I point out the limitations of two kinds of approach: those which claim social movements form more or less spontaneously, and those which perceive these processes as new forms of reproducing old models of the boss-employee relationship.
Rural Workers Campaigns; Land Occupations; Social Movements; Landless Workers Camps; Agrarian Reform