Protesters invade Brazil dam site

SANTO ANTONIO, Brazil, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Hundreds of members of indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon basin invaded the site of a controversial dam project, officials said.

About 300 people arrived on seven buses early Thursday and made their way to the site where the North Energy consortium is building a workers' camp for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in Para State, The New York Times reported.

The group blocked the Trans-Amazon Highway where it passes the construction site, Paulo Cunha, an inspector for the Federal Highway Police, said.

Security officials did not attempt to prevent the demonstrators from entering the property, police said.

Although the protesters have threatened to permanently occupy the site in their latest attempt to stop the dam from being built, they disbanded late Thursday, the Times reported.

The Brazilian government has said the dam, which would be the third largest in the world, is critical for future energy needs in growing cities like Sao Paulo.

Environmentalists say the $11 billion dam would flood about 200 square miles of the Amazon region, affecting the indigenous groups' way of life.