On Monday, December 12, 2022, supporters of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro attempted to storm the headquarters of the Federal Police in the Brasilia capital, witnessing post-election violence on the day the president’s electoral defeat was confirmed.
Bolsonaro’s supporters, many of whom wore Brazilian yellow jerseys or draped in Brazilian flags, were seen clashing with security forces at police headquarters, who used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Nearby buses and cars were set on fire. The federal police said the “riots” near its headquarters are being fought with the support of the capital’s security forces. The violence came after a Bolsonaro supporter was arrested for allegedly organizing “anti-democratic violence”, according to the judge who ordered his arrest.
This came after the Federal Electoral Court confirmed the victory of Bolsonaro’s leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the October 30 presidential election. After months of baseless insinuations that Brazil’s voting system was vulnerable to fraud, Bolsonaro did not concede defeat to Lula and did not formally prevent a transfer of power. But some of the president’s toughest supporters protested by blocking the highway and camping in front of the army barracks, demanding a military coup to prevent Lula from taking office.
Hundreds of Bolsonaro’s supporters gathered outside the presidential residence on Monday afternoon with placards calling for “military intervention”. The President joined them in public prayer but did not address the crowd.
Sen. Randolph Rodriguez, a key aide to Lula, said there were concerns about the safety of Lula and Vice President-elect Geraldo Alcmene as protesters surrounded his hotel in Brazil. Lula’s team denied reports that he was airlifted from the hotel by helicopter. Public safety officials in Brasilia said they had secured the area around the Lola Hotel and urged motorists to avoid the city center where many roads were closed.
