Brazil police wrest back seat of power from pro-Bolsonaro rioters

Brazilian security forces wrested back control of Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court Sunday after a flood of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the seat of power, unleashing chaos on the capital.

In scenes reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, initially overwhelmed security forces used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to fight back rioters who ran rampage through the halls of power in Brasilia until they were finally subdued.

Reuters footage shows police facing off against supporters of Brazil's ousted far-right President Jair Bolsonaro after they invaded the Congress. Other groups attempted to take the presidential palace and Supreme Court https://t.co/9zQLj9Kp2D pic.twitter.com/G1AWzwQi42

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2023

Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the veteran leftist who narrowly won Brazil's bitter, divisive October elections, condemned the invasions as a "fascist" attack.

The far-right Bolsonaro meanwhile condemned "pillaging and invasions of public buildings" in a tweet. But the politician dubbed the "Tropical Trump" rejected Lula's claim he incited the attacks, and defended the right to "peaceful protests."

Lula, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara visiting a region hit by severe floods, signed a decree declaring a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers over the local police force to restore law and order in the capital.

- Manifestações pacíficas, na forma da lei, fazem parte da democracia. Contudo, depredações e invasões de prédios públicos como ocorridos no dia de hoje, assim como os praticados pela esquerda em 2013 e 2017, fogem à regra.

— Jair M. Bolsonaro 2️⃣2️⃣ (@jairbolsonaro) January 9, 2023

"These fascist fanatics have done something never before seen in this country's history," said the veteran leftist, 77, who took office a week ago.

"We will find out who these vandals are, and they will be brought down with the full force of the law."

The president then flew back to Brasilia to tour the ransacked buildings and oversee the response, Brazil's TV Globo reported.

Police have made 170 arrests, media reports said.

TV images showed police ushering Bolsonaro supporters down the ramp from the Planalto presidential palace in single file -- the same ramp Lula climbed a week earlier at his inauguration.

The Senate security service said it had arrested 30 people in the chamber.

Estive agora à noite no Palácio do Planalto e no STF. Os golpistas que promoveram a destruição do patrimônio público em Brasília estão sendo identificados e serão punidos. Amanhã retomamos os trabalhos no Palácio do Planalto. Democracia sempre. Boa noite.

📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/qkyVZHQQdz

— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 9, 2023

Journalists and police attacked

The chaos came after a sea of protesters dressed in military-style camouflage and the green and yellow of the flag flooded into Brasilia's Three Powers Square, invading the floor of Congress, trashing the Supreme Court building and climbing the ramp to the Planalto.

Social media footage showed rioters breaking doors and windows to enter the Congress building, then streaming inside en masse, trashing lawmakers' offices and using the sloped speaker's dais on the Senate floor as a slide as they shouted insults directed at the absent lawmakers.

Protesters damaged artworks, historic objects and furniture and decorations as they ran riot through the buildings, according to Brazilian media reports.

One video showed a crowd outside pulling a policeman from his horse and beating him to the ground.

Police, who had established a security cordon around the square, fired tear gas in a bid to disperse the rioters -- initially to no avail.

A journalists' union said at least five reporters were attacked, including an AFP photographer who was beaten by protesters and had his equipment stolen.

Hardline Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting outside army bases calling for a military intervention to stop Lula from taking power since his election win.

Lula's government vowed to find and arrest those who planned and financed the attacks.

Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha fired the capital's public security chief, Anderson Torres, who previously served as Bolsonaro's justice minister.

The attorney general's office said it had asked the Supreme Court to issue arrest warrants for Torres "and all other public officials responsible for acts and omissions" leading to the unrest.

It also asked the high court to authorize the use of "all public security forces" to take back federal buildings and disperse anti-government protests nationwide.