Bolsonaro supporters storm public buildings in Brasília

Since the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, many in Brazil feared that far-right supporters of Jair Bolsonaro would stage similar acts of violence. It took two years and two days for these fears to be confirmed. 

On Sunday, a mob of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed the headquarters of the three branches of government, overwhelming police and creating chaotic and violent scenes in the heart of Brasília, the country’s federal capital.

Unlike in the Capital riot, however, Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court are in recess until February, meaning these public buildings were largely empty at the time of the invasion. Furthermore, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is not in Brasília.

Images shared on social media show radical mobs vandalizing the Congress and Supreme Court buildings, as well as the Planalto Palace (where the president’s office is located).

Over 100 buses transporting Jair Bolsonaro supporters had arrived in the federal capital this weekend for rallies to contest the 2022 election — which far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by a razor-thin margin.

Despite the arrival of thousands of people, local authorities had planned to deal with protests with a relatively small, minimally visible police presence. Anderson Torres, who served as Mr. Bolsonaro’s justice minister, is now the top security officer in Brasília. As a matter of fact, video footage shows police officers talking and taking pictures with rioters while radicals stormed public buildings.

Gleisi Hoffmann, chairperson of Lula’s Workers’ Party, said the capital’s government was “irresponsible” in facing the crisis. “It is a long-announced crime against democracy, the will of the vote,” she said on Twitter. “[Brasília] Governor [Ibaneis Rocha] and his Bolsonarist security secretary are responsible for whatever happens.”

Justice Minister Flávio Dino tweeted that the local government of Brasília “says backup has been called.” Mr. Dino said he was at the headquarters of the Justice Ministry, just meters from where the riots are taking place.

The Supreme Court is also discussing approving a federal intervention on Brasília’s security apparatus due to the inability of local police — as well as Congress police — to deal with the situation.

By 4 pm, authorities sent the cavalry to the protest. Outside of public buildings, police threw tear gas bombs at the rioters. Water and power are expected to be cut from all buildings.

Police sources tell The Brazilian Report that at least three journalists have been assaulted, while there are numerous reports of members of the press having equipment destroyed and stolen. 

Since the October 30 runoff election, Bolsonaro supporters have persistently acted with violence in an attempt to overthrow the results. First, they tried to throttle the economy by blocking federal highways that are essential for Brazil’s supply chains. They also staged acts of vandalism on the day Lula’s win was certified. On Christmas Eve, police discovered a bomb near the Brasília airport — just days before Lula was inaugurated as president. 

On December 30, Mr. Bolsonaro delivered a farewell address on social media, telling supporters that he “did all he could” to revert the electoral results “within the four lines of the Constitution,” and dodged any responsibility for acts of violence carried out by his most radical supporters.

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