Supporters of Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday invaded the Supreme Court, the Congress building and surrounded the presidential palace in Brasilia, according to television images. 

In an echo of the 6 January 2021 invasion of the US Capitol by supporters of former US president Donald Trump, several thousand protesters broke into the buildings and were seen on television smashing furniture inside the Supreme Court and the Congress. Local media estimated about 3,000 people were involved.

Beyond comprehension. As @davidrkadler states: “A policeman arrives on horseback to contain the insurrection and the Bolsonaristas beat the horse and bloody the policeman to the ground. I am speechless.” pic.twitter.com/4b7V23lu2N

— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) January 8, 2023

Many of the protesters dispute the result of the 30 October election in which leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat Bolsonaro. The former president repeatedly questioned, without evidence, the credibility of the country’s electronic voting system, and many of his hardcore supporters believe him.

Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida 48 hours before the end of his mandate.

Lula was in São Paulo for the weekend and on a trip to the interior of the state.

Lula’s Workers Party asked the office of the top public prosecutor to order public security forces to act in containing the demonstrators. DM

Reporting by Peter Siqueira, Adriano Machado and Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Daniel Wallis