Indigenous groups began an occupation of the work site of the future Belo Monte electric dam in Brazil last week, attempting for the second time to halt construction on a project that they say threatens their way of life. Around 100 Indians, fishermen, and activists formed a group known as Xingu Alive Forever and said that they plan to "definitively dam the Xingu River." Some 40,000 people depend on the river for their livelihoods, and the occupation follows years of legal challenges. Over the summer, around 300 people successfully occupied the dam site for 21 days. This year, up to 12,000 workers were due to begin construction on the dam, which will power an expected 23 million homes. However, in August a federal appeals court halted construction, saying congress had acted illegally in authorizing construction without an extensive environmental assessment that consulted indigenous groups. For the full story, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/indians-occupy-work-site-of-brazil-huge-belo-monte-hydroelectric-dam/2012/10/10/41ff20d6-1308-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html and http://news.mongabay.com/2012/1009-hance-belo-monte-reoccupation.html. Earlier: http://elr.info/international/international-update/federal-appeals-court-halts-belo-monte-dam and http://elr.info/international/international-update/brazil-court-lifts-dam-ban.