Bolsonaro mob storms Lula’s official residence – the Brazilian chaos in 7 points Power has rarely been bought at a higher price

Storming the convention site – that’s what happened

The supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who was voted out on October 30 last year, invaded Congress on Sunday, later also the Supreme Court (see below) and the government seat Palácio do Planalto.

The few security forces around the convention site tried to prevent the crowd from entering with pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades, but were ultimately powerless against the huge crowd.

According to media reports, security forces regained control of the situation after several hours. Special forces of the military police and the presidential guard managed to evacuate the occupied buildings, the state of Agência Brasil reports. The demonstrators then gathered in parking lots and on the lawn in front of the National Congress. Hundreds of suspects were arrested there (see below).

The demonstrators acted at least partly violently and caused numerous property damage. For example, they smashed the windows of the convention building, knocked down security barriers, and entered the entrance hall. Videos showed how people in the plenary room of the Senate climbed on tables and benches and used the lectern as a slide. These images bore striking similarities to those seen in the US when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.

The attack on the Supreme Court

Hundreds of demonstrators had previously entered the parliament building and climbed onto the roof of the building. After the attack on Congress, Bolsonaro supporters then moved to the Supreme Court. There, too, windows were smashed and the insurgents forced their way into the lobby of the justice center, the news portal G1 reports.

The judges are especially hated by hardcore Bolsonaro supporters. During his tenure, they had repeatedly put the right-wing head of state in his place. Recently, Brazil’s Supreme Court said there were no signs of electoral fraud postulated by Bolsonaro in October’s ballots.

After storming the courthouse, the crowd moved on to the government seat, Palácio do Planalto. There was a lot of property damage there. Windows and glass tables were smashed, pictures destroyed. Men and women ran through corridors and offices with Brazilian flags and filmed the riots.

Over 200 arrests

After the security forces took some control of the situation and expelled the Bolsonaro supporters from government buildings, they gathered on the lawns and parking lots in front of the buildings. As a result, more than 200 people were arrested there (as of Monday 03:00 Swiss time).

Photographs showed police officers leading several men and women out of the convention with their hands tied behind their backs. Military police used armored vehicles and helicopters circled over the government district. Bolsonaro supporters were seen on TV pulling a mounted police officer off his horse and beating him.

The security forces then continued to search for those involved in the attacks and would continue the arrests, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said at a press conference on Sunday evening (local time). “This is terrorism, this is a coup d’état. We are sure that the vast majority of the population does not want that,” said Dino. “They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. Criminals are treated like criminals.”

According to Dino, President Lula will also request the Defense Ministry on Monday to send troops “to help maintain public order under his command”.

Lula’s response

The new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was not in the capital at the time of the attack, strongly condemned the riots and ordered the federal government to assume responsibility for public safety in Brasília. The city’s security chief, Anderson Torres, former justice minister under Bolsonaro, was summarily fired.

Lula announced tough sentences after more than 200 arrests. “All vandals will be found and punished,” the head of state said. “We will also find out who funded it.”

Lula was in the city of Araraquara, São Paulo state, at the time of the storm to assess the impact of severe storms in the area.

Bolsonaro’s response

Both Bolsonaro’s party and the former head of state himself distanced themselves from the events. Bolsonaro condemned the attack by his radical supporters on the government district in the capital Brasília via Twitter: “Peaceful demonstrations are part of democracy. Looting and raids on public buildings, such as took place today and were also committed by the left in 2013 and 2017, are not included,” the right-wing ex-head of state wrote on Sunday (local time).

The 67-year-old was referring, among other things, to a nationwide general strike in 2017, when millions of Brazilians protested against the austerity plans of Michel Temer’s interim government. At the time, several ministries had to be evacuated due to angry protests in the government district of Brasilia, but the military police prevented scenes similar to the current ones with rubber bullets and tear gas.

Bolsonaro’s party also condemned the attacks. “Today is a sad day for the Brazilian nation. We cannot agree with the storming of the National Congress,” said Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) leader Valdemar Costa Neto in a video. “All organized demonstrations are legitimate. But chaos is never a principle of our nation. We strongly condemn this behavior. The law must be enforced to strengthen our democracy.”

The new president Lula accused Bolsonaro of inciting his supporters. “They used the Sunday silence when we were still forming the government to do what they did. There are several speeches by the former president in which he advocates this. This is also his responsibility and the responsibility of the parties that supported him,” Lula said.

Bolsonaro denied the allegations. “I reject without evidence the allegations of the current head of the Brazilian government,” he wrote. The ex-serviceman had left Brazil with his family two days before the end of his term and traveled to the US.

The reactions worldwide

US President Joe Biden was quick to respond to what was happening in Brazil. He condemned the attack on democracy and the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil, he wrote on Twitter. The will of the Brazilians must not be undermined and he looks forward to working with Lula. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan added: “Our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering.”

The US had a similar experience with the riots at the US congressional seat in Washington on January 6, 2021. At that time, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, where the Republican defeat was to be endorsed by Joe Biden. The mob forcefully entered the building, five people died.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar statement to Biden. The will of the Brazilian people and democratic institutions must be respected, Macron said. Lula can count on the full support of France.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reacted to the events in Brazil. He held Bolsonaro accountable: Brazil’s political leaders, especially ex-President Bolsonaro, “must act responsibly and ask their supporters to go home,” Borrell warned. The right place to resolve political differences is in Brazil’s democratic institutions and not in street violence.

The history

According to several politicians and observers, events in Brasília loomed large. “It was a declared crime against democracy, against the will of the voters and for other interests. The governor and his security minister, a Bolsonaro supporter, are responsible for everything that happens,” wrote Gleisi Hoffmann, leader of the newly ruling Labor Party, on Twitter.

She alluded to ex-President Bolsonaro’s behavior before, during and after the fall elections. The 67-year-old had repeatedly claimed that the election may have been tampered with, sparking doubt among his supporters. By never publicly acknowledging the loss to Lula and by failing to adhere to customs such as attending inaugurations, critics say he has undermined the country’s democratic processes.

After the vote was voted down, some of his supporters responded with roadblocks and openly demanded military intervention, most of whom were friends with Bolsonaro. However, on November 11, 2022, this ruled out any intervention – stating that democratic processes in the country should be preserved. Nevertheless, the ‘stolen election narrative’, similar to that in the US, persisted among Bolsonaro’s radical supporters. (con)

With material from the SDA and DPA news agencies.