On 8 January, far-right Jair Bolsonaro supporters stormed three government buildings in an attempt to overthrow democratically-elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Protesters broke into congress, the presidential palace and the supreme court, smashing windows and vandalising all three properties. Bolsonaro lost to Lula in a tightly-fought election in October but his supporters have refused to accept the result. The security forces are under criticism as rioters faced little resistance once they breached police lines and stormed onto the congressional lawn. After approximately four hours of chaos, the military retook all three buildings and made hundreds of arrests.
Brazil envoy decries ‘grotesque and failed assault’ on heart of government
Storming of Brasília government buildings in maps and videos