Brasilia: Blitz for Peace
In a surprise manoeuvre, the NGO Convive opened up banners and began distributing pamphlets with the new statistics from the Minister of Health and telling Brazilians to vote YES on the referendum. They marched from the Conjunto Nacional to the Rodoviaria do Plano Piloto.

Brazilians celebrate drop in gun deaths
Last year saw the first drop in Brazil's gun death rate in 12 years. The 8% drop announced by the Minister of Health on 9 September 2005 means there were 3,234 less gun deaths in 2004 than in 2003.

Brazil suffers from a gun violence epidemic, with over 36,000 gun deaths every year. This is the largest number of victims of any country in the world. On 23 October 2005, Brazilians have an opportunity to vote for severe restrictions on gun sales to private individuals.

The drop in gun deaths included a 19% drop in gun deaths in São Paulo state and a 9% drop in Rio de Janeiro state.

Activists celebrated the drop in gun deaths, which according to the Minister of Justice, is clearly linked to the revised gun laws of 2003 and the massive gun buyback that started in July 2004 and removed 400,000 guns from circulation.