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Jair Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil Congress over President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration

Supporters of Brazil’s far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro have stormed into the national Congress building in a dramatic protest.

AFP
5 min read
January 9, 2023 - 2:00PM
Jair Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil's National Congress

Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro broke through police barricades and stormed into Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

Brazilian security forces have taken back control of the three buildings - hours after they were first invaded.

It’s part of a dramatic protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration last week.

A sea of protesters dressed in the green and yellow of the flag flooded into the seat of power in Brasilia, invading the floor of Congress and scaling the iconic building’s roof to unfurl a banner with an appeal to Brazil’s military: “INTERVENTION.”

Brazilian police used tear gas to repel thousands of supporters of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP
Brazilian police used tear gas to repel thousands of supporters of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP

Social media footage showed rioters breaking doors and windows to enter the Congress building, then streaming inside en masse, trashing politicians’ offices and using the sloped speaker’s dais on the floor of the legislature as a slide as they shouted insults directed at the absent politicians.

The New York Times reports protesters held a barricade to keep police back and clear the way for more protesters to enter as they built more barricades with chairs. Some raised the flag of the Empire of Brazil above Congress.

Protesters reportedly set the Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies carpet on fire, while an on-scene journalist from CNN said gifts from foreign dignitaries were stolen.

One video showed a crowd outside pulling a policeman from his horse and beating him to the ground.

Bolsonaro supporters beat a police officer and the horse he is riding. Picture: Twitter
Bolsonaro supporters beat a police officer and the horse he is riding. Picture: Twitter

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the protests in a live televised speech, declaring federal security intervention until the end of January to bring order to the capital.

According to ABC News, he said he could “call these people fascists, fanatics” and labelled the protests “barbarism”.

Mr da Silva - known in Brazil as Lula - was in São Paulo at the time of the protests, and Congress was not in session.

He said he would return to Brasilia and vowed to punish those responsible for acts of violence.

‘Very disturbing’

Carlos de Souza from newspaper Correio Braziliense told the BBC that the situation on the ground was “very disturbing”, with police “losing control” in the chaos.

“The local police, they were standing by those people in the sense that they were watching, observing, guiding those people in a peaceful way.

“But in a certain moment things became uncontrollable and the crowd literally invaded the parliament.”

He said the situation was eerily similar to the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

“It’s the same. It’s people who do not accept the rules of democracy. They don’t accept elections, they don’t accept the rule of the law.

“Even in a democracy like the United States, they’re still facing problems.”

In startling images uploaded to social media a tide of people stormed the national Congress, many waving Brazilian flags.

Protesters appeared on the iconic building’s roof, but also on many of its adjoining lawns and open spaces, including that of the nearby Planalto palace.

Supporters of Bolsonaro clash with the police. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP
Supporters of Bolsonaro clash with the police. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP

Security forces used tear gas in an apparently failed effort to repel the demonstrators.

Police, who had established a security cordon around Brasilia’s Three Powers Square, home to the classic modernist buildings of the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court, fired tear gas in a bid to disperse the rioters, to no avail.

In a tweet, US President Joe Biden condemned the “assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil”.

US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, said on Twitter the US condemns any effort to undermine Brazil and said its “democracy will not be shaken by violence.”

According to local authorities, 150 people have been arrested in relation to the attacks.

‘Fraudulent election’

Protester Sarah Lima told AFP they were demanding a review of veteran leftist Lula’s October 30 run-off election win over Bolsonaro.

The three buildings protesters stormed. Picture: Google Maps
The three buildings protesters stormed. Picture: Google Maps

Lula, who took office Sunday, narrowly won the vote by a score of 50.9 per cent to 49.1 per cent. Bolsonaro, who left for the US state of Florida on the second-to-last day of his term, has alleged he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by Brazil’s electoral authorities.

“We need to re-establish order after this fraudulent election,” said Lima, a 27-year-old production engineer wearing the yellow jersey of the Brazilian national football team -- a symbol Bolsonaro backers have claimed as their own -- and protesting with her young twin daughters.

“I’m here for history, for my daughters,” she added.

Newly-installed Justice and Public Security Minister Flavio Dino called the invasion “an absurd attempt to impose (the protesters’) will by force.” “It will not prevail,” he wrote on Twitter.

“The (Brasilia) federal district government is sending reinforcements and the forces on the ground are acting at this time.” The riots came as Lula, 77, was in the southeastern city of Araraquara visiting a region devastated by floods late last year.

The protesters say former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s election loss was rigged. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP
The protesters say former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s election loss was rigged. Picture: EVARISTO SA/AFP

World reacts to situation in Brazil

US President Joe Biden reacted to the chaos in Brazil, writing on Twitter: “I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil.

“Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with [Brazilian President Lula da Silva].”

Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, tweeted Brazil’s coup attempt was “reprehensible” and “undemocratic,” adding Lula is not alone and has the support of the “progressive forces” of his country, Mexico and the world.

Spain, Portugal and France all expressed their support Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

“The Government of Spain expresses its unconditional support for President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, democratically elected by the Brazilian people and proclaimed the legitimate President of the country by the competent electoral bodies of Brazil,” a spokesman for the Spanish government said in a statement.

Portugal’s government issued a statement on criticising “the acts of violence and disorder that took place today in Brasilia.”

“The Portuguese government condemns the acts of violence and disorder that took place today in Brasilia, reiterating its unequivocal support to the Brazilian authorities in restoring order and legality,” the statement said.

Hardline Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting outside military bases in Brazil since his election loss, calling for an army intervention to keep Lula, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, from returning to power.

Throughout the demonstrations, they’ve blocked roads, set vehicles on fire and gathered outside military buildings, asking armed forces to intervene.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/south-america/jair-bolsonaro-supporters-storm-brazil-congress-over-president-luis-inacio-lula-da-silvas-inauguration/news-story/2d3fb40aee647e2231b94a85462d2bf9