2023 storming
The attacks of 8 January 2023 in Brasília were a series of vandalisms, stormings and depredation of public property cause by thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro[3][4][5] who stormed the Planalto Palace, the National Congress Palace and the Supreme Federal Court Palace[6] with the objective to instigate a military coup d'état against president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and restore Jair Bolsonaro as President of Brazil.
Around 13:00 (BRT), about 4,000 Bolsonaro supporters[7] left the Brazilian Army Headquarters and marched towards the Three Powers Plaza,[8] coming into conflict with the Military Police of the Federal District (PMDF) at the Monumental Axis. Before 15:00, the crowd broke the security barrier established by the security forces and occupied the ramp and roof of the National Congress Palace, while part of the group could storm and vandalize the Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court Palace. President Lula and former president Bolsonaro were not present in Brasília during the storming. The Supreme Federal Court considered the storming as acts of terrorism.[9]
Governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, informed that more than 400 people were arrested until 21:00. On the following day, around 1,200 people that were camping in front of the Army HQ were also arrested and taken by bus to the head office of the Federal Police. Until March 2023, 2,182 people were arrested for participating or having any kind of involvement in the attacks.[10] Right after the events, Ibaneis Rocha fired the Public Security Secretary and former Minister of Justice of Bolsonaro administration, Anderson Torres, who was in Orlando during the stormings.[11] After that, justice of the Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre de Moraes, suspended Rocha from office for 90 days, decision revoked on 15 March.[12] After the attacks, president Lula signed a deccree authorizing a federal intervention in the Federal District until 31 January.
Government representatives criticized the event and stated that the responsible by the violent acts, as well as the funders and instigators, will be identified and punished. Leaders of many Brazilian parties criticized the invasion, considering it a serious attack against democracy and demanded the punishment of the responsibles. Many world leaders also condemned the invasion, expressing their solidarity with the Brazilian government. Many analysts compared the event with the United States Capitol storming in 2021 by Donald Trump supporters, who refused to accept his defeat in the elections. Many social movements called for protests against the invasion and in defense of democracy,[13] which took place on 9 January in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Recife, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte and other cities, gathering thousands of people.[14]