Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil’s presidential palace
President Lula condemns violent anti-democracy demonstrations and promises punishment

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to punish the “vandals” who stormed the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday.
“In scenes reminiscent of the US Capitol invasion two years ago”, thousands of supporters of former leader Jair Bolsonaro took part in the demonstration, said the Financial Times (FT).
Pictures on social media show “ransacked rooms with damaged furniture, files strewn across the floor and water spraying from fire sprinklers”, said the newspaper. On Twitter, Bolsonaro, who is believed to be in Florida, condemned the violence and vandalism.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Security had appeared tight” on Sunday morning, before protesters gathered “on the lawns in front of the parliament” in the capital Brasilia, and along the Esplanada, which is “lined with government ministries and national monuments”, said the BBC.
“Like his erstwhile American counterpart” Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has long voiced doubts over the “integrity” of Brazil’s electronic voting system, said the FT. The former Brazilian president has “repeatedly refused” to accept the results of last October’s election, said the BBC, and broke with convention by not taking part in Lula’s inauguration last week.
Police regained control yesterday evening “after hours of clashes” and “dramatic scenes”, said the BBC. Brasilia’s civil police said they had arrested 300 demonstrators, many of whom were “clad in the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag”, said the FT.
Lula has promised to punish the demonstrators, saying: “They will all pay with the force of law for this irresponsible act, this anti-democratic act, this act of vandals and fascists.”
The events are “likely to raise doubts about the security of Brazil’s political and judicial institutions”, said the FT. They present “tough choices for Lula”, who, within days of taking office, “will be under pressure to crack down on Bolsonaro’s radical supporters”.
Joe Biden is also facing “mounting pressure to remove Bolsonaro from his self-imposed exile in suburban Orlando”, said Reuters. Following yesterday’s events, Bolsonaro “may find himself the target of a Supreme Court probe” into the anti-democracy protest.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julia O'Driscoll is the engagement editor. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. She regularly appears on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, and hosted The Week's short-form documentary podcast, “The Overview”. Julia was previously the content and social media editor at sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, where she interviewed prominent voices in sustainable fashion and climate movements. She has a master's in liberal arts from Bristol University, and spent a year studying at Charles University in Prague.
-
Interest rate cut: the winners and losers
The Explainer The Bank of England's rate cut is not good news for everyone
-
Quiz of The Week: 3 – 9 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will robots benefit from a sense of touch?
Podcast Plus, has Donald Trump given centrism a new lease of life? And was it wrong to release the deadly film Rust?
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical