In the congress building, the demonstrators smashed the windows of the facade and forced their way into the entrance hall, as was seen on Globo television on Sunday. The area around the congress was cordoned off by the authorities. The incident came a week after the inauguration of new left-leaning President Lula.
Bolsonaro’s supporters, who do not accept Lula’s victory in the presidential election, overcame the barriers. Video footage from local media showed people destroying furniture in the stormed buildings. Others made it to the roof of Congress.
Live report: Riots in Brazil
Philipp Lichterbeck, correspondent for the Berlin “Tagesspiegel” in Rio de Janeiro, reports, among other things, on the current situation in the capital, Brasilia, and whether the storming was an attempt at a coup d’etat.
Buildings looted and vandalized
The number of protesters was estimated at around 3,000. Police used tear gas to push them back, initially to no avail. Screaming demonstrators armed with sticks surrounded a police officer from a cavalry squadron and pushed him off his horse, a video showed.
After the attack on Congress, the protesters moved on to the Supreme Court. The news portal G1 reported that they threw in windows and entered the lobby. During Bolsonaro’s term in office, the judges repeatedly put the ultra-right head of state in his place and are therefore despised by his supporters.
Images were circulated on social media suggesting the attackers, dressed in yellow and green, had looted the courthouse. The Supreme Court later said the security forces had regained control of the building. Some people were arrested in the parking garage. Later, the protesters also moved to the government seat Palacio do Planalto, where they vandalized the building, videos showed.
Lula announces tough action
Lula condemned the attacks. “All vandals will be found and punished,” said the head of state on Sunday. “We’ll also find out who funded it.” By decree, Lula ordered the federal government to assume responsibility for public safety in Brasilia.
Memories of US Capitol Storm
“I condemn these anti-democratic acts, which urgently need to be punished with the harshness of the law,” Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco wrote on Twitter. The Senate and the House of Representatives are located in the Congress building.
The images brought back memories of the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, there were no MPs in the Brazilian Congress on Sunday. Brazil’s President Lula was in Sao Paulo state on Sunday, according to officials. He had traveled to the city of Araraquara to find out about the consequences of the severe storms in the region.
Harsh criticism from Lula’s Labor Party
The head of the ruling Workers’ Party (PT) raised serious allegations against those responsible in the capital, Brasilia. “The federal district government was irresponsible in the face of the invasion of Brasilia and the National Congress,” Gleisi Hoffmann wrote on Twitter.
“It was an announced crime against democracy, against the will of the voters and for other interests. The governor and his security minister, a Bolsonaro supporter, are responsible for everything that happens.”
security chief fired
The security chief of the capital Brasilia, Anderson Torres, was fired. “I have decided to dismiss the Minister of Security of the Federal District and at the same time sent all security forces into the streets to arrest and punish those responsible,” Federal District Governor Ibaneis Rocha wrote on Twitter.
“I am in Brasilia to observe the demonstrations and to take all measures to curb the anti-democracy riots in the government district,” said Rocha.
Bolsonaro did not recognize Lula’s election victory
Bolsonaro never explicitly acknowledged his defeat. After the election, radical supporters of the former military had repeatedly protested against Lula’s victory and called on the country’s armed forces to stage a military coup.
Bolsonaro supporters storm Congress
In Brazil, several thousand supporters of President Bolsonaro’s ouster stormed the parliament building, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in the center of the capital Brasilia. The protests are directed against left-wing President Lula da Silva, who was inaugurated last week.
Contrary to custom, Bolsonaro did not attend the inauguration of his successor Lula on New Year’s Day and flew to the United States with his family. Before departing for Florida, he addressed his followers and called them to fight against Lula.
Support for Lula from other states
In initial reactions, states in the region supported Lula. His government has Chile’s full support in view of the “cowardly, heinous attack on democracy,” President Gabriel Boric wrote on Twitter. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard also wrote via the short message service that his country opposed any attack on democratic institutions.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro declared: “Fascism has decided on a coup.” He called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS). Argentine President Alberto Fernandez also spoke of an attempted coup and offered support.
US condemns attacks
The United States also condemned the attacks. “The United States condemns any attempt to undermine democracy in Brazil,” US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan wrote on Twitter. President Biden is monitoring the situation closely. “Our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering,” Sullivan said. Democracy in Brazil will not be shaken by violence.
