BRASILIA – (AFP) After a swarm of Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters rushed the capital’s centre of power on Sunday, causing havoc, Brazilian security forces regained control of Congress, the state house, and the Supreme Court.
Initially overwhelmed security forces used tear gas, stun grenades, and water cannon to fight back rioters who ran amok through the halls of power in Brasilia until they were finally subdued, in scenes eerily reminiscent of the 6 January 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of then-president Donald Trump.
The newly elected president of Brazil, veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who narrowly prevailed in the contentious, acrimonious elections held in October, referred to the invasions as a “fascist” assault.
Meanwhile, in a tweet, the far-right Bolsonaro denounced “pillaging and assaults of public buildings.” The “Tropical Trump” politician, however, refuted Lula’s assertion that he instigated the attacks and defended the freedom to “peaceful protests.”
In order to restore law and order in the capital, Lula, who was visiting a region affected by severe flooding in the southeast city of Araraquara, signed a decree announcing a federal intervention. This gave his government exceptional control over the local police force.
The 77-year-old veteran socialist who entered office a week ago claimed that “these fascist fanatics have done something never before seen in the history of this country.”
“We’ll track down the perpetrators of this vandalism, and we’ll use every available legal means to prosecute them.”
The president subsequently took a flight back to Brasilia where he toured the looted facilities and oversaw the response, according to TV Globo in Brazil.
According to news reports, police have made 170 arrests.
TV pictures showed police directing Bolsonaro supporters down the ramp from the Planalto presidential palace in single file. Lula had climbed the identical ramp a week earlier at his inauguration.
The Senate security agency reported that it had detained 30 people within the Senate.
