Hundreds of supporters of ex-Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the main places of power in Brasilia this Sunday, January 8.
Gathered for a demonstration in front of the Brazilian Congress, hundreds of supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the building, but also the presidential palace and the Supreme Court, causing a lot of damage, according to images circulating on social networks . The police used tear gas canisters to try to repel them.
These events come a week after the inauguration of left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is not currently in Brasilia, the capital, but in the state of Sao Paulo, reports our correspondent in Sao Paulo, Martin Bernard.
Terroristas invadem o Supremo Tribunal Federal e depredam tudo. Também invadem o Palácio do Planalto eo Congresso. É evidente o envolvimento do Governo do Distrito Federal na destruição da Capital do Brasil. Todos tem que ser punidos.pic.twitter.com/68xrD41kLO
— ERIKA HILTON ? ?? (@ErikakHilton) January 8, 2023
Images that recall the invasion of the Capitol
The area around the Congress had been cordoned off by the authorities, but the Bolsonarists who refuse to accept the election of Lula managed to break the security cordons and several dozen of them managed to climb the ramp of this building with modern architecture to occupy the roof. The movement of demonstrators is very well organized, while the police have put up little resistance and seem totally overwhelmed.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino had promised to neutralize “extremists”, according to her formula. The president of Lula’s Workers’ Party Gleisi Hoffman accuses the local government of Brasilia of being responsible for a ” announced crime against democracy “.
The impressive images, reminiscent of the invasion of the Capitol in the United States, show a real human tide flowing towards Congress. This brings together in the same building the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Demonstrators appeared on the roof, but also on all the adjoining lawns, including that of the presidential palace of Planalto.
Jair Bolsonaro, who was narrowly beaten by Lula in the second round of the presidential election on October 30, left Brazil at the end of the year to join the United States.