Bolsonaro Supporters Storm Brazilian Congress Building and Presidential Palace
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Nearly a week after the inauguration of new Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro breached security barriers and stormed government buildings such as the presidential palace, congress building and supreme court, according to multiple media reports.
Bolsonaro's supporters were captured on video inside the congress building, appearing to destroy artwork, steal gifts from international delegations and setting up barricades with furniture to prevent Brazilian police from entering, per CNN.
The news network also reported that the congress building flooded when protesters tried to set fire to the carpet, triggering the sprinkler system.
An estimated 150 protesters have been arrested so far, per The Guardian.
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Lula da Silva defeated far-right leader Bolsonaro in a run-off election in October and was inaugurated on Jan. 1. He returns to the role after a 12-year hiatus, having previously held the presidential office from 2003 to 2011.
Following the protests at the government sites on Sunday, Lula da Silva called the events "barbaric" and tweeted that those who took part would suffer consequences.
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"Whoever did this will be found and punished," President Lula da Silva tweeted, per NBC News. "Democracy guarantees the right to free expression, but it also requires people to respect institutions. There is no precedent in the history of the country for what they did today. For that, they must be punished."
Aproveitaram o silêncio do domingo, quando ainda estamos montando o governo, para fazer o que fizeram. E vocês sabem que existem vários discursos do ex-presidente estimulando isso. E isso também é responsabilidade dele e dos partidos que sustentaram ele.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 8, 2023
"They took advantage of the silence on Sunday, when we are still setting up the government, to do what they did," he added. "And you know that there are several speeches by the former president encouraging this. And this is also his responsibility and the parties that supported him."
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U.S. President Joe Biden — who faced a similar situation with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol following former President Donald Trump's loss — tweeted his support for Lula da Silva.
"I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil," he said. "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."
