Biden Makes First Public Comment About Pro-Bolsonaro Protesters, as 400 Reportedly Arrested So Far
23:34 GMT 08.01.2023 (Updated: 11:03 GMT 10.01.2023)
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On Sunday supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress building in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The protesters, who are seeking to keep Bolsonaro in power despite President Lula da Silva's election win in October, rushed past police and caused damage to government buildings.
US President Joe Biden called the pro-Bolsonaro attack on government buildings "outrageous". It was Biden's first comment about the unrestin Brasilia, during which supporters of Brazil's former president broke into the country's congressional building, Supreme Court, and presidential palace. Across social media some have called the protest an "attack on democracy".
Biden also addressed the events on Twitter, writing: "I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with @LulaOficial."
The clashes took place about a week following the inauguration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a veteran leftist and former president of Brazil who defeated Bolsonaro, a right-wing politician, in late October during Brazil's presidential election. The attack comes after about two months of protesting from Bolsonaro supporters who set vehicles on fire, blocked roads and camped outside of military buildings.
The attack, which comes just two days after the second anniversary of the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, is undoubtedly a reminder of when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to prevent a joint session of Congress from formalizing the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
Since the attack Brazil's Congress, supreme court and presidential palace have all been secured by officials, and thus far at least 400 demonstrators who took part in storming Brazil's government buildings have been arrested, said the governor of Brasilia, Ibaneis Rocha, on Twitter.
“I come to inform you that more than 400 people have already been arrested and will pay for the crimes committed. We continue working to identify all the others who participated in these terrorist acts this afternoon in the Federal District. We continue to work to restore order,” wrote Rocha on Twitter.
One Twitter user was quick to point out the government of Brazil's short response time to the attack, writing: "At least 400 Bolsonaro supporters arrested already. The response to this has put the U.S. response to 1/6 to shame," referring to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
At least 400 Bolsonaro supporters arrested already. The response to this has put the U.S. response to 1/6 to shame.
— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@JoshuaPHilll) January 9, 2023
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Lula condemned the attack calling it "barbarism" while promising to "find and punish" those involved. He also was quick to criticize the police shortly after the incident, saying: "The police didn't do anything at all. They just let the protestors in," during a televised address. The president also labeled the protestors as "fanatic fascists" who represent "everything that's abominable" in politics.
Bolsonaro, a polarizing figure with right-wing policies was first elected in 2018. During the election he questioned the security of Brazil's electronic voting system without any credible evidence and railed against mainstream media as dishonest. The former president---an acolyte of Trump's who is believed to be in Miami, Florida---has condemned the actions of his supporters but has denied responsibility for Sunday's attack.
"Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule," Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter.
Political leaders across the globe have publicly condemned the attack on Brazil's government buildings, including: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the European Union, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the far-right leader of Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
