Lula’s Victory: Brazilian Police arrests 200 Bolsonaro supporters
Justice Minister Flavio Dino of the Supreme Court in Brasilia said in a news conference that about 200 protesters and supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refused to accept his election defeat had been arrested.
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. The rioters 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.
All eyes need to be on Brazil right now. Democracy is completely under attack. Bolsonaro supporters are invading Congress, the presidential
palace, and realms of power in Brazil.
Unbelievable scenes.— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) January 8, 2023
Some 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.”
Also, U.S President Joe Biden tweeted:
I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with @LulaOficial.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 8, 2023
But police regained control of the buildings in the capital Brasilia on Sunday evening after hours of clashes. they fired tear gas to recover the buildings. In the late afternoon, they were shown on television marching protesters down a ramp from the presidential palace with their hands secured behind their backs.
Arriving in the city, Lula toured the Supreme Court building to see the damage for himself. Justice Minister Flavio Dino told local media that some 200 people had already been arrested.
The Governor of Brasilia, Ibaneis Rocha, has been removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court. Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused him of failing to prevent the riot and of being painfully silent in the face of the attack. Leftist leaders and groups across Brazil are calling pro-democracy rallies in the event of all that has occurred.
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.
Al Jazeera/BBC/S.O
