The right-wing insurrection trend has landed in Brazil.
On Sunday, supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's National Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential offices in the capital of Brasília. The violent uprising took place a week after the inauguration of president Luiz Inácio Lula, as right-wing extremists refused to accept the outcome of the recent election in Latin America's largest country.
The event has drawn instant comparison to the January 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington D.C. following the loss of former president Donald Trump to Joe Biden. For weeks, Bolsonaro supporters, known as Bolsonaristas, have camped out at military bases, calling for the military to oust Lula, who was not present at the presidential palace at the time.
\u201cBolsonarista terrorists broke down the police barrier and invaded the Congress ramp and threatened to occupy the chamber and the Senate. The Minister of Justice @FlavioDino announced that he is allowing the use of all federal forces against them.\nhttps://t.co/Q3nbRhjfpV\u201d— Nath\u00e1lia Urban (@Nath\u00e1lia Urban) 1673201684
For five hours, rioters knocked down security barriers, smashed glass, and in some instances attacked police officers. The groups involved had control of the premises for hours until the government forces were able to bring things back to normal Sunday evening at around 5pm local time.
According to the Washington Post, protesters, who numbered in the thousands, wrapped themselves in the green and yellow Brazilian flag and sported the jersey of the Brazilian national soccer team, which has been coopted as a symbol of the far-right.
\u201cReuters footage shows police facing off against supporters of Brazil's ousted far-right President Jair Bolsonaro after they invaded the Congress. Other groups attempted to take the presidential palace and Supreme Court https://t.co/9zQLj9Kp2D\u201d— Reuters (@Reuters) 1673233500
Bolsonaro, who was in Orlando at the time, condemned the protests via Twitter, denying responsibility. Meanwhile, Lula, who visited the site of the protest Sunday evening, addressed the nation on television, saying, "There is no precedent for this. All the people [who stormed public buildings] will be found and punished."
As of Sunday night, over 400 arrests had been made in connection to the protests. "We continue working to identify all the others who participated in these terrorist acts this afternoon in the Federal District," tweeted Federal District Governor Ibaneis Rocha. "We continue to work to restore order."
\u201cUPDATE : Bolsonaro Rioters Getting Arrested in #Brazil, Lula Signs Decree to Bring Them to Justice. Security clearing area, restoring control:\u201d— Joyce Karam (@Joyce Karam) 1673217992
Photo via Getty Images / Joedson Alves / Anadolu Agency
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