Brasilia, May 13 (RHC)-- In Brazil, thousands of indigenous peoples and their allies are rallying in the capital Brasilia, protesting a massive assault on their rights and territories by ranchers, miners and the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

One of the organizers, Kawaua Apurina of the Apurina tribe, told reporters: "We are tired of being murdered.  We are tired of not having our lands demarcated. We are tired of this genocide, ecocide with the indigenous peoples. We're defending the planet!"

The protest comes as new data from the World Resources Institute show nearly 9 million acres of pristine rainforest were cut down in 2018 -- with most of the destruction caused by clearcutting in the Amazon.  The data show deforestation is still on an upward trend, with losses accelerating in Brazil, where loggers and cattle ranchers are pressing further into indigenous territories, aided by the government.