A chaotic scene unfolded in the Brazilian capital on Sunday as hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace calling for military intervention to oust President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Portuguese news agency LUSA reports that the protesters tried to storm the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, the official workplace of the Brazilian president. President Silva was reportedly not at the scene.
Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro clash with police during a demonstration in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023.
(EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images)
Images circulating on social media show crowds of protesters, many wearing the green and yellow colors of the national flag, looting the building, with broken glass and what appears to be tear gas visible everywhere.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States “condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil.”
“President Biden is closely monitoring the situation and our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering,” he tweeted. “Brazil’s democracy will not be shaken by violence.”
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The incidents, reminiscent of the invasion of the US Capitol on January 6, came just a week after leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in on January 1.
Bolsonaro’s supporters have been protesting Lula’s electoral victory since October 30, blocking roads, burning vehicles and gathering in front of military buildings and calling for the intervention of the armed forces.
The former president, who flew to the United States before Lula’s inauguration, has not commented on Sunday’s events. The social media channels of his three legislator sons were also silent.
At approximately 5:30 p.m. local time, less than three hours after the assault, security forces appeared to regain control of the presidential palace and around the Supreme Court, while thousands of protesters remained around and on the roof of Congress.
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The governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, confirmed on Twitter that he had fired the capital’s public security chief, Anderson Torres.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
