Hundreds of supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro stormed key institutions of power in Brazil’s capital on Sunday – Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace – and caused extensive damage, according to images circulating on social networks, AFP and Reuters report.
At least 170 militants were arrested after the violence in Brasilia
Update 01:10, Monday 9 January – At least 170 supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro were arrested in Brasilia on Sunday after occupying and looting key places of Brazilian power, AFP noted, citing Agerpres.
Images sent by CNN Brazil showed yellow-and-green-clad Bolsonarians descending from the archway of the Planaldo presidential palace in Indian rows.
In other images, a bus full of arrested protesters can be seen heading in the direction of a police station.
Police attached to the Senate announced 30 arrests in the chamber, one of the seats of power attacked by the Bolsonaros, as well as the neighboring House of Representatives, the Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court.
As night fell in the Brazilian capital, law enforcement gradually regained control of the situation, keeping demonstrators at bay with water cannons, and despite dozens of protesters, the situation turned chaotic.
The European Union and the United States condemn Bolsonaro’s attacks on official buildings and support Lula da Silva
Update 00:20, Monday 9 January – Responsible for the European Union Hundreds of supporters of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro condemned the occupation of political institutions in Brasilia on Sunday and expressed their “full support” for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, AFP notes.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed his “total condemnation” of the attack on Congress, the Presidential Palace and Brazil’s Supreme Court on Twitter, as well as “his full support for the democratically elected President Lula da Silva. Millions of Brazilians are after fair elections and freedom”.
The EU diplomatic chief expressed the same support. Joseph Borrell, who declared himself “appalled” by the actions of “violent extremists”. “Brazilian democracy will prevail over violence and extremism,” he wrote on Twitter, according to Agerpres.
We condemn the attacks on Brazil’s presidency, Congress and Supreme Court. The use of violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. “We join President Lula in calling for an immediate end to these measures,” he said Anthony Blinken.
French head of state Emmanuel MacronBrazil on Sunday stressed “respect for democratic institutions” and “France’s unwavering support” for President Lula da Silva after Bolsonaro militants occupied several institutions, AFP reported.
“Brazil must respect the will of the people and democratic institutions! President Lula can count on France’s unwavering support,” Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter.
President of the Council of Europe Charles MichaelOn Sunday evening, the Congress, the Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court in Brasilia expressed “total condemnation” of the invasion by hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, AFP notes, citing Agerpres.
““Full support to President Lula da Silva, democratically elected by millions of Brazilians after fair and free elections,” the European official wrote on Twitter.
The White House responded on Sunday to attacks on seats of power in Brazil by the Bolsonaros who contested President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s election, condemning “any attempt to undermine democracy,” AFP notes.
“The United States condemns any attempt to undermine democracy in Brazil. “President Biden (before his visit to Mexico in South America on Sunday) is closely monitoring the situation and our support for democratic institutions in Brazil is unwavering,” he wrote on Twitter. Jack SullivanWhite House Counsel.
The rebellion by Bolsonaro’s supporters ended. Law enforcement took control of the besieged buildings
Update 23:50 Brazilian security forces announced that they had regained control of all government buildings, including Congress. Earlier, President Lula da Silva criticized law enforcement. He said there was “incompetence, bad faith or malice” on the part of security forces in the Federal District (DF) of Brasilia.
“I will say, there was incompetence, bad will or bad faith of the people responsible for public safety in DF. This is not the first time. You can see in the pictures the police leading the people on the walk towards the Praça dos Tres Powers”The President said.
“Let’s find out who are the financiers of these saboteurs who went to Brasilia and they will all pay”he added.
““Democracy guarantees freedom of expression, but also demands respect for institutions.”The head of state who was installed in the office a week ago was added.
“What these saboteurs, these fanatical fascists have done (…) is unprecedented in the history of our country. Those who financed (these demonstrations) will pay for these irresponsible and undemocratic actions.”Lula da Silva insisted.
The “federal intervention” mandated by Lula da Silva consisted of taking control at the level of the Brazilian state over the command of the security forces, usually under the responsibility of local authorities.
The decree placed all law enforcement in Brasilia under the control of Lula da Silva, a man named Ricardo García Cabelli, who reported directly to the president and could use “any body, civilian or military” to maintain order.
“This is more than Bolsonaro’s defeat.”
Update 23:45 BBC: It is important to note that this is not only about Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat, but more than that. What extremist opponents want above all is Lula’s return to prison, not the presidential palace.
Their anger is fueled by their fear of communism and the false belief that Lula is a communist.
Jair Bolsonaro was the vehicle for that anger — he replaced Lula after his first mandates from 2003-2010. But he has been remarkably quiet since the loss (he flew to Florida to avoid attending da Silva’s inauguration) — and he hasn’t been as strident as his supporters.
Some argue that Bolsonaro is irrelevant — that only the military can save Brazil.
It is a country where military leadership is still held in high esteem by a significant portion of the population.
Although similar to Trump in many ways, Brazil has deep roots in all of this, among them the fear of communism.
Lula da Silva: “We will find them all and they will all be punished.
Update 23:05 – pLula da Silva, who visited the flood-affected areas, issued an official statement shortly before. He calls them”Do“Division” against those who attacked the institutions of power in Brazil and says that the attackers will be punished with the full force of the law. He signed a decree ordering federal forces to restore order.
“We will find them all and they will all be punished.In Araraguara, Sao Paulo state, Lula da Silva announced a strong move by the former president’s partisans.
Hundreds of supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro occupied key power institutions in Brasilia on Sunday, the Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace, causing extensive damage, images circulating on social networks showed, AFP and Reuters reported.
Original message
Several thousand Bolsonarians are protesting against the return to power of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a run-off vote on October 30 last year, a week ago.
According to local media estimates cited by Reuters, around 3,000 people were involved in the attack.
“This ridiculous attempt to force a will will not succeed,” the new justice minister, Flavo Dino, warned on Twitter. “Reinforcements will arrive,” he added.
According to Reuters, Luiz Inacio Lula Silva is currently on an official visit to the state of Sao Paulo.
Bolsonaro’s hard-line supporters attacked security forces a week after leftist President Lula took office, disapproving of a victory over Bolsonaro.
In the impressive footage, a veritable wave of yellow and green-clad protesters storming the capital’s institutions of power can be seen, reminiscent of the storming of the capitol in the United States.
Images of protesters standing on damaged parliament offices or senate seats can be seen on social networks. The damage appears to be considerable in these buildings, which house treasures of modern architecture and numerous works of art, AFP notes.
The area near the Square of the Three Powers – where the Presidential Palace, the Supreme Court and the Congress are located – was however isolated by the authorities, but the Bolsonarians managed to break the security ring, according to press agencies cited by Agerpress.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party asked the prosecutor’s office to order security forces to bring the demonstrators under control.
Jair Bolsonaro, who never congratulated Lula on his election, left Brazil two days before the end of his mandate and is in Florida in the US.
Author: Liviu Kojan
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