Brazil riots explained: Why are Jair Bolsonaro's supporters protesting?

The followers of Brazil's former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro stormed numerous significant buildings in the country, paving way for a full-blown riot, just a week after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist, took office as the new president. Thousands of supporters of Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro ransacked the nation's Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential buildings in the capital Brasilia on Sunday (8 January) in circumstances disturbingly similar to those at the United States Capitol in Washington DC precisely two years ago.

On Brasilia's enormous Three Powers Square, three buildings that were thought to be mostly vacant were besieged by thousands of protesters who pushed over security barriers, broke windows, and stormed all three. Some of them demanded military action to remove Lula from the presidency or to reinstate the far-right Bolsonaro in his place.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, raised concerns about the events, and said “Democratic traditions must be respected by everyone.”

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Who are these protestors and why are they protesting?

The demonstrators are former president Bolsonaro's far-right supporters who challenged Lula's election victory on 30 October 2022. In a run-off election last year, Lula, who served as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2011, narrowly defeated Bolsonaro.

The first time Bolsonaro's followers congregated outside military bases around Brazil after the election results, they were demanding a military intervention to stop Lula from coming to power again.

Truck drivers were also among Bolsonaro's supporters who blocked roads across the nation in the days that followed his defeat. Supporters of Bolsonaro organised protests across the nation in November, calling for an armed force intervention.

Brazilians gathered outside a regional military installation to protest what they claimed was a fraudulent or unfair election, disobeying a recent Supreme Court order to clear the streets and public areas.

Many demonstrators believed that a report from the Ministry of Defence, which Bolsonaro has attempted to include in overseeing the election, would support their assertions.

The document, which was released in November, made changes to some election system faults in Brazil but did not discover any proof of fraud.

Domingues Carvalho, 63, who protested for 15 days straight, told the AP news agency: "I'm fighting for my country, for my daughter and three grandchildren."

He added that he sometimes kneels down in front of the military building to pray. "I'll stay here as long as necessary. We are peaceful but we will never, ever leave our country in the hands of communists," he said.

Buildup to the riots on 8 January

A man named George Washington de Oliveira Sousa was detained on Christmas Eve for attempting to detonate a bomb in opposition to the results of the election in Brazil. A copy of his police statement revealed that he was motivated to assemble an arsenal by Bolsonaro's support for arming civilians.

In addition, on 29 Decemberduring rioting by Bolsonaro's followers, Brazilian police detained at least four people in connection with an alleged coup attempt.

On 1 January, Lula took the oath of office as president for the first time. At the time, he declared that democracy had won the election decisively. Nevertheless, he now governs a country that is deeply divided.

However, things weren't always this way. It was 2011 and 83% of people approved of his decision to retire. His conviction on corruption charges was later quashed due to a string of controversies that led to his imprisonment.

Finally, on 8 January, The Brasilia Capitol wasstormed in and ransackedby Bolsonaro's supporters.

What is the present government's response?

Bolsonaro was directly accused of violence by President Lula. He claimed that Bolsonaro "triggered" it. At every opportunity, he encouraged attacks on the three powers. In a speech to the nation, Lula declared that this was also his responsibility, as quoted by The New York Times.

As per the BBC, Lula declared a state of emergency, allowing the federal government to take "any measures necessary" to restore order in the capital. Justice Minister Flávio Dino also announced the start of an investigation, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Rosa Weber said everyone in charge of security in Brasilia would be subject to an investigation.

Where is Bolsonaro now?

The former president is reportedly in Florida after arriving there in late December of the previous year. According to the New York Times, he has been staying in a rental home owned by a professional mixed martial artist near Disney World in Orlando and had plans to stay there for at least a month.

Also watch |Bolsonaro condemns violence after supporters storm key government buildings in Brazil

The former president is reportedly in Florida after arriving there in late December of the previous year. According to the New York Times, he has been staying in a rental home owned by a professional mixed martial artist near Disney World in Orlando and had plans to stay there for at least a month.

Bolsonaro had urged his supporters to maintain decorum in the final days of his presidency before departing, but Sunday's developments indicate that his appeal was perhaps a bit too late. He took to Twitter on Sunday night saying “Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy."

(With inputs from agencies)

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