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Brazilian security forces wrested back control of Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court Sunday after a flood of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed the seat of power, unleashing chaos on the capital.
In scenes reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, initially overwhelmed security forces used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to fight back rioters who ran rampage through the halls of power in Brasilia until they were finally subdued.
Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the veteran leftist who narrowly won Brazil’s bitter, divisive October elections, condemned the invasions as a “fascist” attack.
The far-right Bolsonaro meanwhile condemned “pillaging and invasions of public buildings” in a tweet. But the politician dubbed the “Tropical Trump” rejected Lula’s claim he incited the attacks, and defended the right to “peaceful protests.”
Lula, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara visiting a region hit by severe floods, signed a decree declaring a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers over the local police force to restore law and order in the capital.
“These fascist fanatics have done something never before seen in this country’s history,” said the veteran leftist, 77, who took office a week ago.
“We will find out who these vandals are, and they will be brought down with the full force of the law.”
The president then flew back to Brasilia to tour the ransacked buildings and oversee the response, Brazil’s TV Globo reported.
Police have made 170 arrests, media reports said.
TV images showed police ushering Bolsonaro supporters down the ramp from the Planalto presidential palace in single file — the same ramp Lula climbed a week earlier at his…
