Brazil: Hundreds of anti-Lula protesters invade the Three Powers Plaza

One week after inaugurating Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil, hundreds of anti-communist protestors invaded the Three Powers Square in Brasilia. They were destructive and clashed with the Military Police. At the time of the assault, the president was in the city of Araraquara, in the state of Sao Paulo, on an official visit.

After midday, followers of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently in Orlando, Florida, broke down the security fences of the Three Powers Plaza, a complex that houses the National Congress Palace, the Palace of the Supreme Federal Court and the Planalto Palace (workplace of the president). After getting past a few police officers, they stormed three buildings, breaking windows and destroying offices as they went. The Military Police tried to disperse the mob with stun grenades.

In a video published by Metropoles, the anti-Lula protestors can be seen being accompanied and guided by the police to the scene. Since the day after the runoff vote, when the leftist leader prevailed over Bolsonaro, there have been multiple protests condemning electoral fraud and socialism embodied by the new president.

"The security forces of the Federal District, in addition to the Legislative Police of the Congress, are committed to action. I vehemently repudiate these anti-democratic acts, which must be urgently submitted to the rigor of the law," wrote the president of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, on his Twitter account. Since it was Sunday, the buildings in the Three Powers Plaza were empty.

Flávio Dino, Minister of Justice and Public Security, declared: "This absurd attempt to impose the will by force will not prevail. The Federal District Government assures that there will be reinforcements. And the forces at our disposal are at work. I am at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice.”

Rogério Marinho, senator for Rio Grande do Norte, asked that the perpetrators of the attack be held accountable and that they not be linked to the Brazilians who did not vote for the Workers' Party and "remain within the law.”

Lula decreed the intervention of Brasilia

From Araraquara, Sao Paulo, the Brazilian president decreed the intervention of the security forces of Brasilia. He also assured that the "vandals" who entered the Three Powers Square will be "found" and "punished.”

Lula even suggested that the people who broke through the fences and entered the three buildings were financially motivated by someone else. "We are going to uncover the financiers," he said in his speech.

Bolsonaro and PL disassociated themselves from protesters

Seven hours after the assault began, from Orlando, the former president posted a series of tweets to express his opinion about what happened. He assured that these types of social expression go against the Constitution and questioned the President for accusing him "without evidence.”

He said that during his time in office, he was always "within the four lines of the Constitution, respecting and defending the laws.” He also said, "Furthermore, I repudiate the accusations, without evidence, attributed to me by the current President of the Executive of Brazil."

In turn, the president of the Liberal Party (PL), Valdemar Costa Neto, dissociated himself from the protestors and said it was "a sad day" for the South American country. He also denied the "depredation of the Congress" and said that "disorder has never been part of the principles" of Brazil.