After radical supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the government district in Brasília and cleared a protest camp, mothers of young children and the elderly have been released.
The federal police let them drive away in two buses on Tuesday night (local time), as the news portal “G1” reported. They were arrested on Monday in a tent camp by Bolsonaro supporters in front of the military headquarters.
The camp was cleared on Monday. The police arrested around 1,200 Bolsonaro supporters and took them to the federal police academy to determine their personal details. After an interrogation, it should be decided whether they should be released or taken into custody, said Justice Minister Flávio Dino. 300 people had already been arrested when the government district was attacked.
On Sunday, angry Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Congress, the Supreme Court and the government seat Palácio do Planalto and caused considerable damage to the buildings. It took hours for the security forces to bring the situation back under control. The demonstrators had previously gathered at the tent camp in front of the military headquarters and then moved to the government district.
After the attack, thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in defense of democracy. The demonstrators in the metropolises of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as well as in other cities in the South American country, demanded severe consequences for the perpetrators, as the Brazilian news portal “G1″ reported on Monday evening. Accordingly, the demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “No amnesty and no forgiveness. We want Bolsonaro in prison.”
More than 600 additional police officers for Brasilia
Meanwhile, over 600 additional police officers are being transferred to the capital from other parts of the country. The officials are sent from 15 states to the federal district, as the newspaper “Folha de S. Paulo” reported on Tuesday.
During the attack, the local police officers seemed overwhelmed, and some even seemed to sympathize with the attackers. It took hours for the security forces to bring the situation back under control. Brasília’s security chief was immediately dismissed, and public security in Brasília was placed under federal supervision by decree.
In the capital, peace had largely returned on Tuesday. After the clearing of a protest camp by Bolsonaro supporters in front of the military headquarters, around 60 tons of rubbish were cleared. Traffic has been reopened.
Right-wing President Bolsonaro lost to left-wing politician Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff last October and left office at the turn of the year. Even before the election, he had repeatedly cast doubt on the electoral system. However, he never presented any evidence of this. Even after the vote, he never explicitly acknowledged his defeat. His supporters repeatedly blocked country roads, camped out in front of barracks and demanded military intervention in favor of the deposed head of state. (dpa)
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