Police arrest 300 after Bolsonaro supporters storm capital

Supporters of Brazil’s right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress and other government buildings within the capital Brasilia on Sunday in an attack that echoed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot by supporters of former President Trump.

The newest: Authorities said late Sunday they’d cleared the Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace offices of rioters, the Recent York Times reports. At the least 300 people had been arrested, police said.

What happened: Footage broadcast by several news outlets earlier Sunday showed protesters climbing onto the Congress constructing’s roof, smashing a few of its glass windows and doors, and damaging furniture.

• Additionally they flooded parts of the Congress constructing with the sprinkler system and damaged furniture within the presidential palace and Supreme Court constructing, per Reuters.
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office lower than per week ago, was in Sao Paulo on the time of the attacks.
• While Congress was not in session, protesters reportedly threatened employees in the event that they tried to dam their entry into the constructing, per CNN.
• About 3,000 people took part in what initially began as an illustration in Brasilia, in line with local media.

What they’re saying: “Whoever did this will probably be found and punished,” Lula tweeted Sunday. “Democracy guarantees the suitable to free expression, nevertheless it also requires people to respect institutions.”

• “There isn’t a precedent within the history of the country what they did today. For that, they have to be punished,” he continued.
• “Those people we call fascists, essentially the most abominable thing in politics, invaded the palace and Congress. We expect there was an absence of security,” he added before sharing a signed decree for federal intervention within the district that may last through the tip of the month.
• Lula also placed some blame on Bolsonaro, saying “there are several speeches by the previous president encouraging this … this can also be his responsibility and the parties that supported him.”

Bolsonaro, who flew to Florida just before Lula’s inauguration last week, criticized the attacks in a series of tweets posted several hours after his supporters stormed the buildings.

• He said peaceful protests were an element of democracy, but not the “destruction and invasions of public buildings, like what occurred today.”
• He also rejected Lula’s assertion he shared responsibility, saying there was “no proof” he encouraged the attacks.

Between the lines: While Bolsonaro didn’t explicitly concede or recognize Lula or his victory in an address following last 12 months’s election, he agreed to a transition of power in a press conference that took place two days after the vote.

• Still, his supporters staged multiple protests and asked for the military to intervene.

The massive picture: The attacks were condemned across Brazil and internationally, including within the U.S.

• President Biden called the situation “outrageous” when asked by reporters about it.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted that the U.S. “condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil.”

• “Our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering. Brazil’s democracy is not going to be shaken by violence.”

Brazil’s Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, meanwhile, tweeted that he “vehemently repudiate[d] these anti-democratic acts, which must urgently undergo the rigor of the law.”

State of play: Brasilia Gov. Ibaneis Rocha announced on Twitter that he had fired Anderson Torres, the safety secretary of the federal district who had been in control of ensuring the world’s safety. Torres is a Bolsonaro ally who previously served as the previous president’s minister of justice, per the Recent York Times.

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Editor’s note: This text has been updated with additional details throughout.