1,200 arrested in Brazil: Lula calls attackers “fascist vandals”
A week after left-wing politician Lula took office, hatred for the new government erupted. Thousands of supporters of former right-wing president Bolsonaro storm Congress and the seat of government. The action is reminiscent of the Washington incidents two years ago.
After the storm of radical supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro in the government district of Brasilia, around 1,200 supporters of the former right-wing head of state have so far been arrested. Security forces cleared a camp of Bolsonaro supporters in front of the military headquarters in the Brazilian capital on Monday and temporarily detained the activists, news portal ‘G1’ reported. The people were taken away in about 40 buses. The storming of the government district caused international outrage.
Police managed to bring the situation under control several hours later
Bolsonaro’s radical supporters stormed the government district of the Brazilian capital on Sunday. They briefly brought the control centers of the most important state powers in the country under their control. They invaded Congress, the Supreme Court and the Palácio do Planalto, rioting in offices and meeting rooms, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The police seemed completely taken aback. It took hours for the security forces to bring the situation under control.
The governor of the federal district around the capital was temporarily relieved of his post on Monday. The Supreme Court ordered the suspension of Ibaneis Rocha for the first 90 days. According to the “G1” portal, the order should also be a warning to the governors of other states not to remain inactive towards Bolsonaro’s radical supporters. Brasilia’s security chief and former justice minister under Bolsonaro, Anderson Torres, was been previously fired. Head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in office for about a week, has placed public safety in the capital under federal supervision by decree.
Especially at the beginning of the riots, the police didn’t make a good impression. For days, numerous supporters of Bolsonaro have been camping in front of the headquarters of the armed forces. When about 4,000 more of the former president’s supporters arrived by bus in the capital on Saturday and Sunday and moved to the government district, they were even escorted by officials. Police officers took selfies with protesters and filmed mobile phone videos, as seen on television.
Lula calls attackers “fascist vandals”
Brazilian President Lula strongly condemned the attack by Bolsonaro supporters. The left-wing head of state, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara on Sunday, spoke of an attack by “fascist vandals”. Lula signed a decree giving federal authorities special powers to restore security in Brasilia. The police initially seemed completely overwhelmed by the attacks by Bolsonaro supporters. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has put security forces in the capital under the command of the federal government to bring security back under control in Brasilia.
US tech firm Meta said it would remove social media comments supporting Sunday’s attack. “We consider this a violent event and will delete content that supports or praises this action,” a meta spokesperson confirmed to dpa.
ter/al/AFP
