Officials inspect the damage to the Planalto Palace after Bolsonaro supporters took over the Plaza de los Tres Poderes (Square of the Three Powers) to invade government buildings, in Brasilia, Brazil, on Monday. Photo by Andre Coelho/EPA-EFE
Jan. 9 (UPI) — Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who raided federal facilities and camped out in the capital Brasilia began to leave Monday morning after being threatened with imprisonment by police.
The demonstrators were seen packing up their tents and walking toward buses parked outside Brazilian military headquarters.
The riots drew comparisons to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump while Congress worked to confirm his election loss to President Joe Biden.
The rioters attacked Brazil’s seats of power, vandalizing offices and workspaces a week after the inauguration of Lula da Silva, who defeated the controversial Bolsonaro in a close runoff election on Oct. 30. Bolsonaro, like Trump, said the election was tainted because of election fraud and he was the true winner.
Since the start of the disturbances on Sunday, Brazilian authorities have taken about 1,200 people into custody. The Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District said that 12 journalists had been assaulted or robbed while covering the demonstrations.
Lula, a left-wing politician who previously served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, blamed Bolsonaro for the riots, saying he gave “several speeches” encouraging the actions of his supporters.
In the October runoff, Lula won 50.9% of the vote compared to 49.1% for Bolsonaro.
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered authorities to remove protesters’ camps, pitched outside the army’s headquarters in BrasÃlia and at other sites across the country. In turn, demonstrators have called for the military to intervene and take over the government.
