Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro surrounded important government buildings in Brazil's capital on Sunday, and at least 400 people have been arrested, according to authorities.
Ibaneis Rocha, the governor of the country's Federal District, said on Twitter that those detained "will pay for the crimes committed."
Rocha believes that the attacks in the Federal District were not isolated incidents and noted that efforts to "restore order" and to identify all those involved are continuing.
The city of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is located in the Federal District. The country's legislative and judicial centers, and the presidential palace, were included in Sunday's Brazil attack.
A social media clip of the Brazil attack showed an outside mob attacking a police officer after they had dragged him from his horse.
Approximately 3,000 individuals, according to reports from the area's media outlets, were present throughout the event, and security authorities fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Journalists Also Attacked by Bolsonaro Supporters
The Union of Professional Journalists in the Federal District reports that at least 12 journalists were assaulted on Sunday as supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro swarmed Brasilia.
The violence against journalists "prevented them from carrying out their job securely," the union stated in a statement released on Monday, which denounced the attacks.
According to the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (ABRAJI), Bolsonaro supporters have assaulted journalists and seized equipment from some of them.
ABRAJI documented 77 political violence assaults against the media in the last two years without the government and security services adopting necessary actions to combat far-right group violence, CNN reported.
17/ Pro-#Bolsonaro rioters appear to smash cameras from the ceiling during #Brasilia siege.pic.twitter.com/3VfKQTFFwI
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) January 8, 2023
The minister of institutional relations in Brazil said late Sunday that the buildings will be investigated for evidence such as fingerprints and photographs to hold individuals accountable and that the rioters presumably planned to incite similar activities around the country.
Justice Minister Flávio Dino branded the Brazil attack as "terrorism" and "coup-mongering," and he claimed the government has begun investigating the donors of the vehicles that brought the demonstrators to the capital.
Dino noted: "They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. We need to say that fully, with all firmness and conviction," adding that Brazil will not use criminals to wage political battles, per an AP News story.
Bolsonaro Condemned the Attack
Jair Bolsonaro has condemned the Brazil attack, on Twitter, he said, "peaceful protests, respecting the law, are part of democracy."
He went on to say that the "depredations and invasions of public buildings" and those conducted "by the left in 2013 and 2017," are exceptions. Bolsonaro said that throughout his presidency, he worked to uphold Brazil's constitution, rule of law, and freedom, per CNN.
Although he has indicated his willingness to assist in a peaceful transfer of power, Jair Bolsonaro has yet to publicly accept defeat in the October election.
With high inflation, slow development, and worsening poverty, Brazil's political atmosphere was heated and divisive leading up to the election.
The year 1996 saw the introduction of electronic voting in Brazil. Due to the lack of a verifiable paper trail, election security experts see such systems as less reliable than manually marked paper ballots.
Brazil's system is, nevertheless, highly examined, and neither internal law enforcement nor outside observers have ever discovered proof that it has been used fraudulently.
