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Gallery|Jair Bolsonaro

Pro-Bolsonaro rioters storm Brazil’s top government offices

The unrest in Brazil’s capital caps months of tension following Lula’s October 30 presidential victory over Bolsonaro.

Security forces
Security forces try to disperse supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro outside Planalto Palace in Brasilia. [Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters]
Published On 9 Jan 20239 Jan 2023
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Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his election defeat have stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace, a week after the inauguration of his left-wing rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On Sunday, thousands of demonstrators bypassed security barricades, climbed on roofs, smashed windows and invaded all three buildings in the capital, Brasilia, which were believed to be largely vacant on the weekend.

Some of the demonstrators called for a military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power or remove Lula from the presidency.

In a news conference from Sao Paulo state, Lula accused Bolsonaro of encouraging the uprising by those he termed “fascist fanatics”, and he read a freshly signed decree for the federal government to take control of security in the federal district.

Bolsonaro, who flew to Florida before Lula’s inauguration, repudiated the president’s accusation late on Sunday. He wrote on Twitter that peaceful protest is part of democracy but vandalism and invasion of public buildings are “exceptions to the rule”.

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Police fired tear gas in their efforts to recover the buildings, and were shown on television in the late afternoon marching protesters down a ramp from the presidential palace with their hands secured behind their backs.

By early evening, with authorities’ control of the buildings restored, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said in a news conference that about 200 people had been arrested and officers were firing more tear gas to drive away lingering protesters.

Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting Lula’s electoral win since October 30, blocking roads, setting vehicles on fire and gathering outside military buildings, urging the armed forces to intervene. The head of Brazil’s electoral authority rejected the request from Bolsonaro and his political party to nullify ballots cast on most electronic voting machines.

Security forces detain a
Security forces detain a Bolsonaro supporter outside Brazil’s National Congress. [Adriano Machado/Reuters]
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Brazil protests
Bolsonaro supporters outside Planalto Palace as police fire tear gas in their efforts to recover the buildings. [Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters]
Brazil protests
Protesters clash with the police after storming the Planalto Palace, the official workplace of the president of Brazil. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brazil protests
Protesters stand on the roof of the National Congress building. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brazil protests
Bolsonaro's supporters enter the National Congress building. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brazil protests
Protesters rifle through papers on a desk after storming the Planalto Palace. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
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Brazil protests
The uprising, which lasted a little more than three hours, underlines the severe polarisation that still grips the country days after the inauguration of left-wing President Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the October election. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brazil protests
Protesters lie on the ramp of Planalto Palace. Lula blamed Bolsonaro for inflaming his supporters after a campaign of baseless allegations of election fraud. [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brazil protests
Justice Minister Flavio Dino said 200 demonstrators had been arrested, but Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha put the number at 400. [Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters]


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