In a dramatic escalation of the political situation in Brazil, thousands of supporters of the country’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro have forced their way into the country’s Congress and Supreme Court, while surrounding the presidential palace in the capital Brasilia.

The storming took place on Sunday, with the local media outlets estimating that some 3,000 of the former president’s supporters had taken part in the raids.

Dramatic footage showed the attackers pushing through police barricades and making their way onto the roof of the parliament, as well as storming many nearby buildings such as the Supreme Court and the Planalto Palace.

During the incident, Lula was far from the capital, on an official trip to Sao Paulo state. 

The Supreme Court was ransacked by the occupiers, according to social media images that showed protesters shattering the windows of the building.

 

On Saturday, with rumors of a confrontation brewing, Justice Minister Flávio Dino authorized the deployment of the National Public Security Force.

On Sunday, he wrote on Twitter, “this absurd attempt to impose the will by force will not prevail.”

Latin American leaders have quickly condemned the attacks.

“All my solidarity with Lula and the people of Brazil,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro tweeted, adding, “Fascism decides to conduct a coup.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric, for his part, said Lula’s government has his full support “in the face of this cowardly and vile attack on democracy.”

Lula: Brazil seat of power invaded by ‘fascist fanatics’

In his first reaction, President Lula da Silva condemned the invasion of Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace by supporters of Bolsonaro, describing them as “fascist fanatics.”

Lula also signed a decree declaring a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers to restore law and order in the capital.

“We will find out who these vandals are, and they will be brought down with the full force of the law,” Lula said from the southeastern city of Araraquara, where he was visiting a region hit by severe floods.

EU condemns attack on Brazil Congress, Supreme Court

In a similar reaction, European Council President Charles Michel condemned Bolsonaro’s supporters after they attacked Brazil’s top legislative and executive bodies.

“My absolute condemnation of the assault on the democratic institutions of Brazil,” he tweeted.

“Full support for President @LulaOficial Da Silva, democratically elected by millions of Brazilians through fair and free elections,” he added.

Observers have compared the raids to the January 6, 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of then US President Donald Trump, a Bolsonaro ally, and have termed the situation as a serious episode of “political unrest.”

Security forces used tear gas in an effort to control the situation and disperse the demonstrators.

The Bolsonaro-allied fanatics refuse to accept his narrow defeat during October’s presidential elections against 77-year-old Lula da Silva, also a former president.

Lula was sworn in on January 1, unleashing a barrage of rebuke against Bolsonaro for, what he called, his predecessor’s egregious mishandling of the country’s affairs during his mandate.

Hours before the monumental swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by some 30,000 Brazilians, Lula blamed Bolsonaro for causing hunger to return to the country, despite his own presidential rule during which millions were lifted out of poverty.

He said he had received a ruined country, whose former government had depleted all resources and undermined human rights.

The leftist leader also accused Bolsonaro’s “negationist” administration of committing “genocide” by failing to respond properly to the COVID-19 pandemic that killed more than 680,000 Brazilians.

“Democracy was the great victor in this election…,” Lula said on the day.

Bolsonaro has, however, questioned, without evidence, the credibility of the country’s electronic voting system.

He fled Brazil to Florida two days before the end of his mandate, reportedly to avoid going through the ceremonial handing over of the presidential sash to Lula.