\n\n“Supporters of populist former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country\u2019s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace Sunday, a week after Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula Da Silva, commonly known as Lula, was sworn in as Brazil\u2019s new president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thousands of people loyal to the right-wing Bolsonaro broke through police barricades and entered the Congress and Supreme Court buildings. Bolsonaro\u2019s supporters \u2014 called Bolsonaristas \u2014 also surrounded the presidential palace, calling for Lula\u2019s resignation, though the president was on an official state trip to Araquara <\/a>and not in the capital, Bras\u00edlia. Congress was also on recess, leaving the building mostly empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lula made an official statement<\/a> at 4 pm ET, saying he would sign an emergency decree,<\/a> in effect till January 31, allowing the federal government to implement \u201cany measures necessary<\/a>\u201d to calm the unrest in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey took advantage of the silence on Sunday, when we are still setting up the government, to do what they did,\u201d Lula\u2019s account tweeted Sunday<\/a>. \u201cAnd you know that there are several speeches by the former president encouraging this. And this is also his responsibility and the parties that supported him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videos of Bolsonaristas draped in yellow flags and sitting at the desks of lawmakers appeared on Twitter Sunday afternoon in a scene reminiscent of the January 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol building by right-wing supporters of former US President Donald Trump. Throughout the afternoon, protesters destroyed windows<\/a> in the Supreme Court<\/a> building, flew the Brazilian imperial flag<\/a> above the Congress building<\/a>, set fire to a carpet in the lower house of Congress, looted gifts from foreign dignitaries<\/a>, and reportedly attacked a photojournalist from the news outlet Metropoles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Police forces at the capitol initially used tear gas against the protesters; however, that failed to deter protesters and drove the guards to seek cover behind the building. The Brazilian Armed Forces and anti-riot police, as well as the entire police force of the state of Bras\u00edlia<\/a>, have been called up in an attempt to quell the protests”<\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n “the Bolsonaristas are animated by the belief that Brazil\u2019s 2022 elections were rigged, and that Bolsonaro is the true winner of the election. Bolsonaro has been in the United States since Lula\u2019s January 1, 2023, inauguration and has not yet publicly commented on the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lula won a runoff election against Bolsonaro last October, marking a return to power after a stint in prison on corruption charges. Lula, a left-wing former president who helped raise the standard of living for millions of Brazilians<\/a> by strengthening the country\u2019s social programs, first served as Brazil\u2019s president from 2003 to 2010. He was in prison from 2018 to 2021.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n