A Blow to Democracy: Riots in Brazil's Capital

On January 8, 2023, in the heart of Brazil, thousands of furious citizens stormed and vandalized Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace. They were protesting the inauguration of Brazil’s newly elected president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (also known as “Lula”), which took place a week prior. These protesters were lingering supporters of Lula’s political opponent, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who refused to concede defeat after his loss in Brazil’s presidential elections in October. Bolsonaro and his followers have been perpetuating claims of fraud ever since.

The day before the riots, the protesters flocked to Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, arriving in buses and cars on January 7th. The next day, at approximately 2:00 pm, the protesters began to head towards the Congress building; arriving an hour later, they broke past the barriers and police and entered the building. Nearby, others ransacked the Presidential Palace. Later in the day, they smashed through the glass of the Supreme Court, destroying the interior. By that time, the police stepped in and used tear gas, water cannons, and stun grenades to subdue the protesters. 

After the attacks, questions have arisen regarding the security on the day of the attack. How was it, people asked, that these protestors had so easily broken into key locations of Brazil? In fact, the New York Times has reported that “some officers not only failed to take any action against rioters, but, in at least one case, waved a spectator toward Congress.” 

The protesters themselves had not been secretive about their plans. Social media posts openly talked of blocking highways and targeting the government. The authorities didn’t seem concerned because they believed this would be like the other times unrest stirred amongst allies of Bolsonaro—all talk, and no action.

On January 2nd, drastic changes took place surrounding the security of the capital district. The district chief of security was replaced by Bolsonaro’s former justice minister Anderson Torres, who traveled to the United States on vacation shortly after gaining the post and replacing a majority of his senior staff members. In case the protests ended up actually occurring, the security plan left much in the hands of the police, who were hopelessly outnumbered the day of the protests. The defenses erected around the perimeters of Congress consisted of temporary barriers and scattered police officers. Troubling footage arose of police officers waving protesters towards Congress as well. After the incident, Torres was fired for incompetence.

Some have compared these protests to the events on January 6th that happened in our own capital. In both cases, angry protestors stormed the capital, threatening two massive democracies. One thing is for certain, though: these riots are a valuable reminder of what happens when we lose faith in each other, our society, and above all, democracy.