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Brazilian authorities vowed to protect democracy and punish thousands of supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed and trashed the nation's highest seats of power in chaos with striking similarities to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.
Key points:
- Brazil has been embroiled in riots on state buildings
- President Lula accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of inflaming supporters
- Mr Bolsonaro is currently in Florida
The protesters swarmed into Congress, the Supreme Court, and presidential palace on Sunday and many said they wanted the Brazilian army to restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power and oust the newly inaugurated leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
But on Monday hundreds of Brazilian police in riot gear and some on horseback amassed at the encampment near Brasilia's army headquarters, while soldiers in the area withdrew.
Police then broke down the pro-Bolsonaro encampment and detained some 1,200 people there, the justice ministry's press office told The Associated Press.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mr Bolsonaro's leftist rival who took office on January 1, following a narrow election win, promised to bring those responsible for the violence to justice, after demonstrators broke windows and furniture, destroyed artwork and stole guns and artefacts.
The President and the heads of the Supreme Court, Senate, and Lower House also signed a letter on Monday denouncing acts of terrorism and vandalism and saying they were taking legal measures.
Justice Minister Flávio Dino told reporters police have begun tracking those who paid for the buses that transported protesters to the capital.
At the news conference late Sunday, Brazil's minister of institutional relations said the buildings would be inspected for evidence including fingerprints and images to hold people to account, and that the rioters apparently intended to spark similar unrest nationwide.
"They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. We need to say that fully, with all firmness and conviction," Mr Dino said.
"We will not accept the path of criminality to carry out political fights in Brazil. A criminal is treated like a criminal."
US President Joe Biden joined other world leaders in condemning the attacks, calling them "outrageous", while Mr Bolsonaro, who is now in Florida, denied inciting his supporters and said the rioters had "crossed the line".
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the Governor of Brasilia be removed from office for 90 days on Sunday over alleged security failings.
He also ordered social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to block accounts of users spreading anti-democratic propaganda.
Facebook parent MetaMETA.O said on Monday it was removing content supporting or praising the weekend ransacking of Brazilian government buildings.
Telegram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Allegations and denials fly
Mr Lula, a former union organiser who was also president from 2003 to 2010, said the local militarised police force that reports to Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha, a former Bolsonaro ally, did nothing to stop the protesters advancing.
Mr Lula decreed federal intervention of public security in the capital and promised exemplary punishment for the leaders of the "fascist" assault that was aimed at provoking a military coup that could restore Mr Bolsonaro to power.
"All the people who did this will be found and punished," Mr Lula told reporters from Sao Paulo State.
He blamed Mr Bolsonaro for inflaming his supporters after a campaign of baseless allegations about election fraud after the end of his rule marked by divisive nationalist populism.
From Florida, where Mr Bolsonaro flew 48 hours before his term ended, the former president rejected the accusation. He said on Twitter that peaceful demonstrations were democratic but the invasion of government buildings "crossed the line."
The assault raised questions among Mr Lula's allies about how security forces in the capital were so unprepared and easily overwhelmed by rioters who had discussed plans on social media for days about gathering for weekend demonstrations.
Police retook the damaged public buildings in the futuristic capital after three hours and dispersed the crowd with tear gas.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino said 200 demonstrators had been arrested. Governor Rocha, writing on Twitter before the court announced its move, put the number at 400.
Storming of buildings planned a fortnight out
Mr Dino said investigations would aim to uncover who financed the several hundred buses that brought Mr Bolsonaro's supporters to Brasilia and also probe Mr Rocha for not preparing security.
The occupation of the government buildings had been planned for at least two weeks by Mr Bolsonaro's supporters in groups on social media messaging platforms, yet there was no move by security forces to prevent the attack, called by one group "the seizure of power by the people".
Messages seen by Reuters throughout the week showed members of such groups organising meeting points in several cities around the country, from where chartered buses would leave for Brasilia, with the intention to occupy public buildings.
The plan included camping in front of Brasilia's army command headquarters, where demonstrators have been since Mr Lula narrowly won the election in October.
In the early afternoon of Sunday, when the protesters began to arrive on Brasilia's esplanade, instead of being contained, they were escorted by Military Police cars with flashing lights.
Riot police only arrived on the scene two hours after the invasions began.
Mr Bolsonaro faces legal risks from several investigations before the Supreme Court in Brazil and his future in the United States, where he travelled on a visa issued only to sitting presidents, is in question.
"Bolsonaro should not be in Florida," Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro said on CNN.
"The United States should not be a refuge for this authoritarian who has inspired domestic terrorism in Brazil. He should be sent back to Brazil."
Reuters