MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonarist demonstrators storm gov't buildings in Brasilia

“This demonstration is of a coup minority that does not accept the election result and preaches violence,” Pimenta said.

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro Sunday staged a demonstration throughout Brasilia during which the National Congress, the Planalto Palace, and the Supreme Court (STF) building were stormed. At least 260 were arrested, Agencia Brasil reported.

The invasion began after the barrier formed by military police on the Ministry Esplanade, which was closed, was broken through. The National Congress was the first to be invaded, with protesters occupying the ramp and letting off firecrackers. Then they broke glasses in the Congress Black Hall and damaged the House plenary.

Read also: Brazilian prosecutors want former Justice Minister arrested over Sunday's riots

After causing havoc to the Parliament's building, they moved on to the Planalto Palace (headquarters of the Executive branch), and later on, they broke glass and furniture at the STF.

BRASÍLIA
ESPLANADA DOS MINISTERIOS
08/01/23
CONGRESSO E PLANALTO TOMADOS pic.twitter.com/VFdHgpN9eh

— Léo Maranhão (@LeoMaranhao22) January 8, 2023

Military Police near the National Congress used pepper spray in an unsuccessful attempt to contain the protesters who chanted coup slogans.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino said that “this absurd attempt to impose the will by force will not prevail.”

“The forces at our disposal are taking action. I am at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice,” he wrote on social media.

Former Minister of Justice in the Bolsonaro administration and Brasilia's Security Secretary Anderson Torres said on Twitter that he had taken “immediate steps for the reestablishment of order in downtown Brasilia.” Nevertheless, he was later removed from office. Torres is currently in the United States with the former head of state.

“This demonstration is of a coup minority that does not accept the election result and preaches violence. A violent minority, which will be treated with the rigor of the law,” Communications Secretary Paulo Pimenta said on social networks

Senate Speaker Rodrigo Pacheco “vehemently repudiated these anti-democratic acts”, which, according to him, should “suffer the rigor of the law with urgency.”

“I have just talked by phone with the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, with whom I have been in permanent contact. The governor informed me that he is concentrating the efforts of the entire police apparatus in order to control the situation,” said Pacheco.

“Democracy presupposes alternation of power, the divergence of points of view, but it does not admit the depressing scenes that Brazil is surprised at this moment. We will act rigorously to preserve freedom, democracy, and respect for the Constitution,” Speaker of the House Arthur Lira wrote.

All those arrested were sent to the Federal District Civil Police (PCDF)headquarters for identification and further legal proceedings. The PCDF also reported on Twitter that teams of papiloscopists, criminal experts, and coroners were on standby.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)