Brazil: Bolsonaro supporters invade Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court

Supporters of former President Bolsonaro repelled by police tear gas outside the Presidential Palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023. AFP - EVARISTO SA

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Hundreds of supporters of ex-Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the main places of power in Brasilia this Sunday, January 8.

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Gathered for a demonstration in front of the Brazilian Congress, hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the building but also the presidential palace and the Supreme Court causing a lot of damage, according to images circulating on social networks.

Por @Basiliarodri: Bolsonarista demonstrators invade a Esplanada em Brasíla na tarde deste domingo (8).

Governo Lula endorsed that houve demora nas teams of segurança do Distrito Federal #CNNBrasil360 pic.twitter.com/ya5oyP6kWI

— CNN Brasil (@CNNBrasil) January 8, 2023

Brazilian police used tear gas canisters to try to repel hundreds of supporters of far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed outside Congress in Brasilia, a week after leftist President Luiz was sworn in Inacio Lula da Silva who is not currently in Brasilia, the capital, but in the state of Sao Paulo, reports our correspondent in Sao Paul,

.

Terroristas invadem o Supremo Tribunal Federal e depredam tudo.

Também invadem o Palácio do Planalto eo Congresso.

É evidente o envolvimento do Governo do Distrito Federal na destruição da Capital do Brasil.

Todos tem que ser punidos.pic.twitter.com/68xrD41kLO

— ERIKA HILTON 🚩 🇧🇷 (@ErikakHilton) January 8, 2023

Images that recall the invasion of the Capitol

The area around the Congress had been cordoned off by the authorities, but the Bolsonarists who refuse to accept the election of Lula managed to break the security cordons and several dozen of them managed to climb the ramp of this building with modern architecture to occupy the roof.

The movement of demonstrators is very well organized, while the police have put up little resistance and seem totally overwhelmed.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino had promised to neutralize "extremists", according to her formula.

The president of Lula Gleisi Hoffman's Workers' Party, for her part, accuses the local government of Brasilia of being responsible for a " 

 ".

The impressive images, reminiscent of the invasion of the Capitol in the United States, show a real human tide flowing towards Congress.

This brings together in the same building the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Demonstrators appeared on the roof, but also on all the adjoining lawns, including that of the presidential palace of Planalto.

Jair Bolsonaro, who was narrowly beaten by Lula in the second round of the presidential election on October 30, left Brazil at the end of the year to join the United States.

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• Brazil

• Jair Bolsonaro