Supporters of Brazil’s former president raid Congress and the Supreme Court
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the “fascist” attack by hundreds of followers of Brazil’s far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday, when they smashed past police barricades and surged into Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro denounced the “pillaging and invasions” at the National Congress, Presidential palace in response to the assaults.
Protesters dressed up in the flag’s green and yellow swarmed Brasilia’s seat of power, assaulting Congress, damaging the Supreme Court’s buildings, and even scaling the ramp to the president’s Planalto palace.
Disturbing photos harkened back to the infiltration of the US Capitol by Bolsonaro supporter and former president Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.
While visiting an area of the country that had been struck hard by the recent floods, President Lula signed a decree announcing a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government the authority to restore law and order in the nation’s capital.
The 77-year-old veteran socialist who defeated Bolsonaro in Brazil’s fractious October elections stated, “These fascist fanatics have done something never before seen in this country’s history.”
When the vandals are identified, “We will find out who these vandals are, and they will be brought down with the full force of the law,”
Hardline Since Lula barely beat Bolsonaro in the runoff election on October 30, Bolsonaro supporters have been demonstrating outside Brazilian army posts, pushing for a military intervention to prevent Lula from assuming office.
Protesters climbed to the top of the historic Congress building on Sunday and unfurled a banner reading “INTERVENTION,” a call to the military.
Protesters were shown on camera storming the Congress building via broken windows and doors, destroying legislative offices, and using the sloping speaker’s dais on the floor of the house as a slide while hurling insults at the absent members.
A police officer was shown being dragged from his horse and brutally beaten by an outside crowd in one video.
At first, police tear gas sprayed into the crowd failed to disperse the rioters who had gathered in Brasilia’s Three Powers Square, which is home to the National Congress, the Planalto, and the Supreme Court, three iconic modernist structures.
When that failed, they sent in the riot police on horseback and the tear gas bombs dropped from helicopters to attempt to disperse the protesters. Massive crowds remained around the three buildings far into the early evening, and the images of turmoil persisted.
At least five journalists were assaulted, according to the union that represents them; one of them was an AFP photographer who was battered and had his equipment taken during the demonstrations.