Protesters invade Congress, Planalto and STF

Protesters supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro, unhappy with the election results, invaded the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The invasion began after the barrier formed by military police on the Esplanada dos Ministérios, which was closed, was breached. The National Congress was the first to be invaded, with protesters occupying the ramp and releasing rockets. Then they broke glass in the Black Room of Congress and damaged the floor of the House. After depredation in Congress, they invaded the Planalto Palace and the Federal Supreme Court (STF). In the STF, they broke glass and furniture. The images show that the military police force that was in the vicinity of the National Congress used pepper spray in an unsuccessful attempt to contain the demonstrators who chanted coup slogans. Via social networks, the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, said that “this absurd attempt to impose the will by force will not prevail”. He added that he had heard from the government of the Federal District that the staff would be reinforced. “The forces at our disposal are at work. I am at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice”, wrote the minister. Former Minister of Justice in the Bolsonaro government and current Secretary of Public Security for the Government of the Federal District, Anderson Torres, who is in the United States, said, via Twitter, that he had determined for the operations sector “immediate measures to restore order in the center of Brasilia”. The chief minister of the Secretariat of Communication, Paulo Pimenta, said on social networks that he is sure that the majority of Brazilians want unity and peace for Brazil to move forward. “This demonstration is from a coup-supporting minority that does not accept the result of the election and that preaches violence. A violent minority, which will be treated with the rigor of the law”. President of the Senate and the National Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco said he “vehemently repudiates these anti-democratic acts”, which, according to him, must “suffer the rigor of the law urgently”. The Legislative Police are also on site, in an attempt to contain the invasion. “I spoke a little while ago, by telephone, 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.

Agência Brasil