Chilling video footage has emerged that shows a police car driving through crowds of demonstrators at dangerous speeds amid violent protests in the Brazilian capital. The speeding police car could be seen almost running over the demonstrators as more than 400 protesters were handcuffed and arrested.
Violent protests broke out in Brazil on Sunday with supporters of ex-President Bolsonaro breaking into the National Congress building, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace after he questioned the legitimacy of the election. They demanded that the military remove freshly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Police have been trying to aggressively curb the protests but so far haven't been much successful.
Almost Running Over
The horrifying video showed a Military Police car swerving off the road and speeding across the grass in front of the National Congress building in Brasilia. People were shouting and running away in horror from the oncoming automobile as the car drove through crowds of protesters.
Nobody appears to have been wounded in the event but several could have died as the police car almost ran over them. The car was, however, soon seized by the angry protesters and set on fire.
Many protesters were brought out of the National Congress building in handcuffs after being arrested by police, and there was a video of a demonstrator appearing to urinate on a desk inside a government session. More than 400 persons have been detained as of now.
Former President Bolsonaro's supporters broke into the National Congress building, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace on Sunday after he questioned the legitimacy of the election. They demanded that the military remove freshly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
President of the United States Joe Biden referred to the incident as an "attack on democracy" and denounced the protesters who stormed Brazil's capital in opposition to the country's presidential election results.
In a tweet posted on Sunday, Biden defended President da Silva and claimed that Jair Bolsonaro's supporters were trying to disrupt the country's orderly transition of power.
"I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil," Biden wrote. "Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with @lulaoficial."
President da Silva referred to the protesters who stormed Congress as "vandals and Nazis," yet the astonishing photos from the day closely resembled the uprising of Trump supporters in the US capital, which occurred almost two years ago to the day.
Wild Scenes
Earlier on Sunday violence erupted on the streets of Brasilia. A sea of protestors wearing the national colors of green and yellow rushed into Brasilia's center of power, invading the floor of Congress, destroying the offices of the Supreme Court, and scaling the ramp leading to the Planalto presidential palace.
The horrifying pictures brought to mind the Bolsonaro ally Donald Trump's supporters' takeover of the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
Da Silva, who was visiting a district devastated by heavy flooding in the southeast city of Araraquara, signed a document announcing a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers to restore law and order there.
"These fascist fanatics have done something never before seen in this country's history," said the veteran leftist, 77, who took office a week ago after beating Bolsonaro in Brazil's bitterly divisive October elections.
"We will find out who these vandals are, and they will be brought down with the full force of the law," he added.
Da Silva blamed the invasion and unrest on Bolsonaro and stated that the capital's lack of security had done little to quell the protests.
Da Silva, a left-wing politician who was inaugurated a week ago amid allegations that the election was rigged, has only been in office for a week.
All of the rioters would be identified and punished for their crimes, said President da Silva, who also promised to track down those who funded the movement.
Bolsonaro supporters were spotted crashing through the barriers and entering the Presidential building. It comes as da Silva, also known as Lula, defeated Bolsonaro in an election in October.
It was unclear at first whether further protesters had managed to enter the presidential palace or the Supreme Court, but they were gathered outside of both structures.
Bolsonaro supporters have been demonstrating against Lula's election victory Since October 30. A disturbing video revealed how protestor gangs battered a policeman who arrived on horseback to the ground.
Police have used tear gas to disperse the protestors as they have been blocking highways, torching cars, and assembling outside military installations, calling on the military to interfere in the election.
According to local media, there are around 3,000 protesters brandishing Brazilian flags and donning yellow and green T-shirts. Attacks on security barriers and police vehicles that were employed to secure the building are also allegedly committed by those who broke in.
