Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil’s seat of power

Supporters of former populist Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday, a week after Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, commonly known as Lula, was sworn in as Brazil’s new president.

Thousands of people loyal to the right-wing Bolsonaro broke through the police barricades and entered the building of Congress and the Supreme Court. Brasília. Congress was also in recess, leaving the building empty.

Lula made an official statement at 4:00 pm ET, he said he would sign an emergency decision, in effect until January 31, allowing the federal government to take “necessary measures” to calm the unrest in the capital.

“They took the opportunity to be silent on Sunday, when we were still setting up the government, to do what they did,” Lula’s account tweeted Sunday. “And you know that there are some speeches by former presidents who support this. And this is also his responsibility and the parties that support him.

A video of Bolsonaristas wearing a yellow flag and sitting at the table of parliamentarians appeared on Twitter Sunday evening in a scene reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol building by right-wing supporters of former US President Donald Trump. In the evening, protesters broke windows in the Supreme Court building, waved the Brazilian imperial flag over the Congress building, burned carpets in the lower house of Congress, looted gifts from foreign officials, and reportedly attacked photojournalists from news outlets. Metropolis.

Police forces in the capitol initially used tear gas against the protesters; However, it failed to stop the protestors and drove the guards to find cover behind the building. The Brazilian Armed Forces and anti-riot police, as well as all police forces in the state of Brasilía, have been called in in an effort to quell the protests, but as of this writing, Bolsonaristas remain inside the federal building.

At 3:30 pm Eastern time, dozens of army officers have arrived on the scene, some storming the office of the president; two helicopters also hovered above the president’s office, with officers on board deploying what New York Times reporter André Spigariol described as tear gas canisters and anti-riot ammunition.

Like the rioters who stormed the US Capitol building almost exactly two years ago, Bolsonaristas are fueled by the belief that Brazil’s 2022 election is rigged, and that Bolsonaro is the true winner of the election. Bolsonaro has been in the United States since Lula’s inauguration on January 1, 2023 and has not publicly commented on the situation.

Lula won a runoff election between himself and Bolsonaro in October last year, marking his return to power after being jailed on corruption charges. Lula, a former left-wing president who helped raise the standard of living for millions of Brazilians by strengthening the country’s social programs, first served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010. He is in prison from 2018 to 2021.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly said the election was not fair or unfair, and instructed his followers to “go out to fight” if Lula “stole” the election. Even before Lula’s victory in the second round of elections, Bolsonaro’s supporters were protesting, camping near military bases and asking the armed forces to step in and keep Bolsonaro in power by preventing Lula’s inauguration. Other protests included road and highway blockades, including a blockade by semi truck drivers, after Bolsonaro posted a video of himself driving a tractor, semi and bus, which some supporters interpreted as encouragement.

“Whoever does this will be found and punished,” Lula wrote on Twitter. “Democracy guarantees the right to freedom of expression, but it also requires people to respect institutions. There is no precedent in the history of the country for what is being done today. It must be punished.”