2023 Brazilian Congress attack

On 2 January 2023, former Bolsonaro minister Anderson Torres was appointed as chief security officer of the Federal District by the reelected governor Ibaneis Rocha. Then, on the following day, Torres changed the command of the intelligence and special operations team of the department, including the undersecretary of the Undersecretariat of Intelligence George Estefani and Chief of the Federal Police Milton Rodrigues. Those who were dismissed had been monitoring the protests and had understanding of terrorism and experience in crisis management.[45][46][47] Torres then left Brazil on the night of 6 January for Orlando, Florida, United States, arriving there on 7 January, just hours before the attacks and one week after Bolsonaro had arrived in Orlando.[48][49]

Reports of a planned attack were already circulating in the first week of 2023, with audios leaked from several WhatsApp and Telegram groups showing intent by pro-Bolsonaro groups to organize a "massive protest" in Brasília, provoke violent actions by the crowd, circumvent police action, and possibly incite a military coup d'etat.[50][51][52] Several groups and communities from throughout the country arranged for transport by bus to Brasília to participate in the demonstrations.[53] Many social media websites (such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok) did not moderate misleading claims about the election, meaning that people who used these sites to find information about the election were presented with these misleading claims.[54] Before the attack, plans for protests in Brasília were referred to as "Selma's Party", a code phrase used on social media to discuss plans without arousing suspicion. Variants on the phrase were used to discuss planned riots in other cities.[55]

Members of the federal cabinet were aware of the rioters' plans, but were assured by Rocha and Torres of the situation being under control. The district government on 6 January planned to prevent the rioters from reaching the National Congress, and also closed access to its esplanade. However, Rocha changed the agreed-upon plans shortly before the protest and opened the esplanade to protesters. As a result, the security contingent which was present when the invasion began was easily overwhelmed. The plan had called for the deployment of more than 1,300 officers from the Civil and Military Polices, as well as about 200 officers of the National Public Security Force, but the actual number was far lower, which Rocha blamed on the public security secretary of Brasília, Anderson Torres.[56] Justice Minister Flávio Dino later said that Anderson Torres had rejected the deployment of the National Public Security Force and did not accept the plan which asked for deployment of reinforcements in the region before the protest.[13] O Estado de S. Paulo reported that the Planalto Military Command had rejected the need for reinforcements at the presidential palace.[57]

Anonymous government officials told The Washington Post the buses that transported Bolsonaro supporters to Brasília had been paid for by donors from ten states, including some involved in the agribusiness sector. Minister of Justice Flávio Dino stated that up to that point it had not been possible to "clearly distinguish" those responsible for financing the buses. He added: "What you can definitely say is that there was funding."[56][58][59] Dino later stated that the donors particularly belonged to the agribusiness sector and engaged in illegal activities.[60]

According to the Police, the rioters were prepared for the attack and appeared to know the location of key points in the buildings, such as the fire hydrants, according to Alan Diego dos Santos Rodrigues, which was arrested for the attempted bomb attack on the Brasília International Airport, many members of the military, both reserve and on-duty, took part in identifying and mapping the buildings, especially the congress.[61] The group was allegedly in Brasília since December, when they were on the protest camp in front of the Army Headquarters; The group, which were called "the red berets" by Alan, had been identified by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency as an "highly extremist, violent and anti democratic" group with the capability, ways and motivation to "gravely compromise the democratic state of law" and "plan, execute and incite violent attacks against authorities", including then president-elect Lula; the bulk of the group was made from members of military paratrooper divisions and was highly decentralized, with the members only sharing similar beliefs and no known leadership, the group was described as acting like mercenaries, having been paid for "services", such as making and delivering explosive devices to the aiport in Brasília and mapping the installations of the National Congress, the Supreme Federal Court, as well as energy infrastructure in Brasília, possibly with the intention of carrying out terrorist attacks or assasinations, including against Lula and minister Alexandre de Moraes.[62]

Other people involved in planning and executing the attack, such as Symon Albino (known as "Patriot Symon"), Diego Dias Ventura and Ana Priscila Azevedo, are suspects of inciting the attacks and paying for buses which took the protesters from their cities to Brasília, Symon and Ana made videos and posts on Telegram channels before the attack asking for memebers to prepare and "not let communism take power", "collapse the system" and "take the power by force" in addition, Diego and Ana are allegedly close to the "red berets" group, having met with their members before the attack; Ana Priscila was the target of a operation by the Federal Police, ordered by Alexandre de Moraes, and is preemptly under arrest after she appeared in videos shared by her during the attack on the National Congress and Federal Supreme Court, while Diego was arrested by the Federal Police during another similar operation; member of the army reserve Marcelo Soares Correa (known as Cabo Correa), which was appointed as the leader of the "red berets" group and linked to many of the group's activities has not been found since, he was candidate for Federal Deputy for the Brazilian Woman's Party (PMB) in 2022, and had been detained before in 2016 for invading the National Congress during a protest asking for military intervention, he also allegedly took part on the march from the army headquarters to the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, and was reportedly heard saying that "pacifism has ended", which means, according to police, that he had the intention of invading the federal buildings.[63]

On the morning of 7 January, more than 100 buses arrived in Brasília from all parts of Brazil, bringing in Bolsonaro supporters, joining the ~500 protesters camped in front of the Army Headquarters and raising the total number of people there to over 4,000.[64] On the morning of January 8, Defence Minister José Múcio visited the camp, he later said that the situation was "calm, for now."[65]

At around 13:00 BRT, the demonstrators marched from the Army Headquarters.[66][67] During the march, some people were detained in front of the Ministry of Defence building and the National Stadium, with police reporting that some protesters were armed; a car passing through the march was damaged by demonstrators, and the driver was attacked with sticks; one witness said that he heard a protester screaming "we are going to break everything!" A protester detained by police during the march said that the mob intended to invade the congress building.[68] As the protesters marched, military police escorted them, with an officer reportedly saying that they would "guarantee the security of those marching".[65]

By the afternoon, some demonstrators had reached the Three Powers Plaza, where around 100 people concentrated.[65] At around 15:00 BRT (UTC−03:00), protesters broke through Military Police and Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) barriers near the legislature building,[65][69] and, armed mainly with sticks and stones, confronted the military and riot police, who, while outnumbered, entered in physical confrontation with the rioters, using pepper spray in an attempt to disperse them.[66] Despite this, some members of the military police were caught being lenient with the attackers.[70]

Moment when rioters break down police barriers and invade the Three Powers Plaza

At around 15:10 BRT, the mob began attacking the National Congress building, where they again clashed with police; by 15:30 BRT, police began firing tear gas against the rioters as an effort to protect the buildings.[65] Senator Veneziano do Rêgo confirmed to CNN Brazil that protesters had managed to invade the Congress building; according to him, they reached the upper floor, where the domes of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are located, as well as the Green Hall of the Chamber of Deputies.[71] Protesters attempted to extend a green and yellow banner over the building.[71] Some protestors among the mob were also seen with the flag of the Empire of Brazil.[72] Many rioters were praying and crying during the attack, while some were picking up stones from the ground, sometimes using pickaxes, to throw at the police.[73]

Inside of the Congress building, protesters clashed with the Legislative and Federal Senate Polices; videos show the heavily outnumbered officers engaging in combat with rioters, attempting to stop them from taking over and vandalizing the building, although the barrier is later broken, as rioters manage to take over and vandalize most of the upper part of the congress building.[74] At around 16:00, protesters broke through the glass in the Green Room of the congress building and clashed with around 60 Legislative Police officers in the Deputies' Chamber and Senate, throwing bombs, steel balls and water jets against the police barrier, which responded by throwing tear gas and pepper spray against the rioters.[75]

The mob later climbed the ramp of the Congress building and reached the Supreme Federal Court building and the Palácio do Planalto, seat of executive power, creating a situation of chaos and widespread destruction. Videos showed rioters vandalizing and looting several parts of the buildings, as well as attacking police, with some chanting "Break everything!", "You have to break everything!".[66][76] Between 15:50 and 16:00, after several confrontations, the protesters managed to enter both buildings, where more vandalism (including destruction of artworks) and fighting ensued.[77] In the Supreme Federal Court building, police arrested 8 rioters that attempted to enter the offices inside the building, and protesters extended a Brazilian flag in the windows of the building in an attempt to protect against rubber bullets and stun grenades used by police.[65] Inside of the presidential palace, the mob clashed yet again with police, rioters vandalized and looted the building during the fighting, and several rooms were severely damaged, with some of the invaders being able to get into restricted areas of the building. A group of protesters attempted to enter President Lula's office, but were unable to enter and were barred by security — although videos later released by CNN Brazil show members of the Institutional Security Bureau being lenient with the invaders, with some being seen guiding them out of the building, and one official was even distributing water to the rioters; among those accused of leniency was then-secretary Marco Edson Gonçalves Dias, who can be seen in the videos\ calmly talking with protesters and guiding them out of the areas. o arrests were made by the bureau's security forces.[10] Dias later resigned from his office after criticism in relation to the alleged leniency.[11]

By 16:25 BRT, soldiers from the National Public Security Force reached the ministries esplanade and began supporting the police forces present in the region;[65] a National Force vehicle was reportedly set on fire and pushed into the reflecting pool of the monument during the confrontations.[78] Soldiers from the Brazilian Army also responded, and two helicopters were used in an attempt to disperse the crowd.[12] At 16:25 BRT, Augusto Aras, Prosecutor-General of Brazil, asked the Prosecutor-General of the Federal District to open a criminal investigation.[65] By around 17:00 BRT, security forces had regained control of the Supreme Court building, though some rioters remained encamped in its parking garage.[79] At 17:08 BRT, the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, assured that he was "taking all measures to contain the anti-democratic riot in the Ministries' Esplanade"; in addition, he dismissed the secretary of security of the Federal District, Anderson Torres.[80][81][82] At 17:50 BRT, Lula announced that he had signed a decree authorising a federal public security intervention in Brasília, to continue until 31 January.[27] Lula also blamed Bolsonaro for the attack during an interview.[65]

Protesters invade the National Congress of Brazil

Lula invoked Article 34, Subheading III of the Federal Constitution, which empowers the government to put an end to a serious impairment of public order.[83] It was the third application of Article 34 of the 1988 Federal Constitution, which has previously been applied in Rio de Janeiro and Roraima during the Temer Government.[84] Ricardo Cappelli, executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, was appointed as intervenor.[85][86] The intervention relieved the Federal District governor, Ibaneis Rocha, of the authority to oversee security in the district,[87] and lasted until 31 January.[88]

Protesters invading the Supreme Federal Court building

At 18:20 BRT, protesters reportedly set fire to the lawn in front of the National Congress,[65] Some time later, the Military Police of the Federal District (PMDF) reported it had begun to clear rioters out of the buildings.[89] Police began arresting rioters en masse in the ministries esplanade by 18:20 BRT.[65] The Brazilian Army arrived in military trucks in the late afternoon and ambushed the intruders in the presidential palace through the back door, the rioters had left the building by 18:30 BRT, with some being escorted out by the police.[1][90]

At 18:30 BRT, The Attorney General of the Union reported that it had filed a request for Torres's arrest.[65][82] By 19:00 BRT, over 150 people had been arrested by the security forces, at least 30 of them in flagrante delicto in the Federal Senate.[91][92] Security forces managed to retake the National Congress by evening, after mounted police arrived using batons to disperse protesters.[93] Justice Minister Flávio Dino announced by 21:00 BRT that all three buildings had been cleared.[1]

Rioters destroy the furniture of the Palácio do Planalto

Painting and furniture damaged in the National Congress

Entrance to the Chamber of Deputies after the attack

Showcase desk by designer Sérgio Rodrigues destroyed during the invasion

A number of important spaces in the three stormed buildings were extensively vandalized and looted, including the Noble Hall and Plenary of the Federal Supreme Court, the Green, Blue and Black Halls and the lobby of the Congress, as well as the Noble Hall and the First Lady's office at the Planalto Palace. Many other spaces, such as corridors, windows, rooms and offices, were also vandalised, damaging a large amount of furniture, equipment and other objects.[94][95][96] Several spaces were completely destroyed.[97] According to an official, the invaders destroyed fire hydrants, in an attempt to prevent the fight against fires that existed at various points of the invasion.[98]

In addition to structural damage, several works of art, mainly paintings, vases and historical objects (such as chairs, clocks, carpets and tables) were damaged, stolen or destroyed during the attack[99][100][101] In the Planalto, the desk used by former president Juscelino Kubitschek was reported destroyed after it was used in a barricade, and As Mulatas, a painting by modernist Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, was stabbed repeatedly.[102] "A Justiça", a statue by Alfredo Ceschiatti, was sprayed with graffiti,[103] "Araguaia", a stained glass window by Marianne Peretti, was damaged,[98] "A Bailarina", sculpture by Victor Brecheret, was taken by a protester, but later found damaged on the ground,[104] and a clock made by Balthazar Martinot, which was given by the French court to John VI of Portugal, was thrown to the ground by a protester, who was later arrested by police.[105]

A soccer ball signed by Neymar was stolen by a protester, but it was later recovered by the Federal Police.[106] A golden shell with a pearl, which was a gift by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, was taken by rioters, while a decoration in the shape of an ostrich egg, a gift by Ahmed Ibrahim El-Tahir, the President of the Sudanese National Assembly, was destroyed; two vases, given by Lászlo Kövér, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Hungary, and Wang Zhaoguo, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, to Marco Maia, President of the Chamber of Deputies, were also destroyed during the invasion.[107] A bust of Ruy Barbosa, as well as a carpet that was owned by Princess Isabel (and several other carpets, which were inundated by anti-fire systems), were also damaged by protesters.[108] Furniture brought from the Monroe Palace (such as desks and chairs) was damaged, as well as an inkwell (from the times of the Empire of Brazil), a Persian carpet,[109] and the chair used by Rosa Weber, designed by Jorge Zalszupin,[98]

Electronic devices – including laptops, phones, desktops, printers, photographic lens and televisions – were also damaged or stolen by protesters;[110] others, such as a copy of the original 1988 constitution book and a Coat of arms of Brazil, were initially taken by the rioters, but were later found among the rubble in the building of the Supreme Federal Court, the coat of arms was damaged, but the copy of the constitution was found intact.[111][112] The offices of the Workers' Party and of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party in the Congress building were also invaded and vandalised by the mob.[113] Inside the STF building, the ministers' chairs and a Crucifix were taken and/or vandalized by the rioters, the office of Alexandre de Moraes was vandalized, its door was sprayed with graffiti, and his closet's door was taken by a protester; other offices inside the building were also vandalized, with some chairs and desks being taken by protesters to be used in barricades.[114][103] Rioters urinated and defecated in the press areas of the Congress building and Supreme Federal Court, as well as in the Planalto Palace.[115] Protesters also stole weapons, munitions and documents from the Cabinet of Institutional Security in the Planalto.[116][117] In an interview with CNN Brasil, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues said five abandoned grenades were found after the invasion, three of which were left at the Supreme Federal Court and two at the Congress complex.[118]

Several journalists were attacked during the protests. Folha de São Paulo photographer Pedro Ladeira was attacked and robbed by rioters.[119] A journalist for Metrópoles was also attacked during the storming.[120] Journalists and photographers from BandNews, O Tempo, AFP and Reuters were also attacked, some were pushed to the ground and had their equipment stolen or damaged.[121] At least 10 journalists and photographers from different news outlets were attacked and/or robbed during the riot.[122]

On 9 January 2023 (one day after the Brasilia attacks), three transmission towers in the states of Rondônia and Paraná (both of which are Bolsonaro's strongholds) were pulled down and cut off of Brazil's power grid. In the most serious incident, one tower connecting Brazil's mega hydropower plant Itaipu to the country's grid was damaged by a tractor.[123] According to the Brazilian National Electricity watchdog (ANEEL), no storm or natural disaster happened in those areas to sustain a natural cause for the towers collapse, which raised suspicions among government officials that some acts of sabotage by Bolsonaro supporters were underway to knock out power.[124] An additional tower in the interior of São Paulo state was damaged on 13 January.[125][126] However, alternative towers were switched on and no effective power cut took place in all the incidents.[123]

During the attack, Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, announced in a press conference that approximately 200 people were arrested in flagrante delicto, and that new arrests were still being made; according to Dino, several buses to Brasília, and their financiers, had been investigated and identified.[127] Federal District governor, Ibaneis Rocha, in a publication on a social network, stated that more than 400 people had been arrested.[128] Among those arrested before and during the attack, some were carrying knives, machetes, stilettos, scissors, pocket knives, slingshots with marbles and tin spheres, stakes, cloth soaked with vinegar (for use against tear gas and pepper spray), and even explosives (such as grenades), material for making molotov cocktails, blowtorches and fireworks, among others; some also used balaclavas, gas masks, gloves, ski masks, and protective equipment, possibly as an effort to hide their identities.[129][68][65]

After the federal buildings were retaken, Justice of the Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes suspended governor of the Federal District Ibaneis Rocha for 90 days, due to the shortcomings in security preparedness. He also ordered clearing of camps set up by protesters outside military bases within 24 hours, clearing of all roads and buildings occupied by them, and removal of all anti-democratic posts by Bolsonaro supporters from Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.[130]

The police started clearing the protest camps near army bases throughout the country on 9 January.[131] Soldiers backed by the police dismantled a camp outside the army headquarters in Brasília, which had been used as a base by those who had attacked the Three Powers Plaza, they detained around 1,200 people there;[132][16] An earlier attempt by federal government officials to arrest suspects involved in the attack at the camp on the night of 8 January was blocked by the Brazilian Army commander Júlio Cesar de Arruda.[60]

The total number of those arrested by 9 January was 1,418, with 222 detained in the Praça dos Três Poderes and 1,196 in the camp set up in front of the Army Headquarters, according to the National Justice Council (CNJ); many of those arrested were taken to the Papuda Penitentiary Complex and the "Hive" women's penitentiary, of the total prisoners, 599 (mostly elderly, homeless people, people with physical or mental problems and mothers accompanied by children) were later released on humanitarian grounds.[133] Arrest warrants for around 50 people allegedly involved in the invasion were issued, according to Justice Minister Flávio Dino.[134] As of March 2023, 2,182 people have been arrested for participation or connection to the attack.[135] The federal government estimated that around 5,000 people had taken part.[13]

The Supreme Federal Court (STF) created a task force to carry out the hearings, which will be held by federal judges and those of the Federal District Court of Justice and sent to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who will decide on maintaining the prisons; Earlier, the Federal Public Defender's Office (DPU) defended the release of "hyper-vulnerable" people and the replacement of prison with precautionary measures, such as a ban on leaving the states of origin, on attending barracks and military units, on using social networks and to maintain contact with other demonstrators who are not related.[133]

If the necessary evidence is gathered, those involved may be charged with one or more crimes, including, but not limited to: prevarication (for authorities and public security officials), disobedience (for authorities and servants in charge of public safety), crimes against democracy (such as attempted overthrow of a legitimately constituted government, also commonly known as Coup d'etat, and attempted violent abolition of the rule of law), terrorism (including preparatory acts), criminal association, public incitement to commit a crime, persecution, intimidation, damage to private property, qualified damage (such as damage to public property, historical and artistic heritage and protected buildings) as well as offense to the bodily integrity or health of others; people who were not present but participated in organizing, financing, instigating and collaborating in other ways, with proof of a causal contribution, will also be framed for the same crimes; In case of conviction for more than one crime, the sentences can be added together and reach 30 years in prison.[136][137][138]

On 10 January, Moraes issued arrest warrants for the former public security secretary of Brasília Anderson Torres, and the Federal District Military Police chief, Fabio Augusto Vieira.[139] The Justice Ministry stated that the police had found a draft presidential decree authorizing Bolsonaro to overturn the elections by implementing a "state of defense" on the Superior Electoral Court while searching the house of Torres.[140] His lawyer claimed that the draft was a proposal by civilians and was never submitted to Bolsonaro, while Torres stated that it was taken out of context and was going to be eventually shredded.[141] The National Congress meanwhile authorized Lula's decree for federal intervention in Brasília and Deputy Justice Minister Ricardo Cappelli's appointment to oversee it.[29][142]

President Lula announced a security review of officials posted at the presidential palace on 12 January. He said that he believed that doors had been deliberately left unlocked in the attack, and that no hardcore Bolsonaro supporter would be allowed to work in the building.[57] Moraes on 13 January agreed to include Bolsonaro as part of the investigation into the riots over him questioning the legitimacy of the elections on 10 January.[143] Torres was arrested on the following day after returning to Brasília.[144]

The office of the Prosecutor General of Brazil presented charges against the accused for the first time on 17 January, charging 39 people with armed criminal association, violent attempt to subvert the democratic state of law, staging a coup and damage to public property.[145] In an interview on 18 January, Lula blamed the intelligence services of the armed forces and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency for failing to alert him to the possibility of an attack.[146] He dismissed Arruda from the post of commander of the army on 21 January, replacing him with Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva. Lula also changed some Federal and Federal Highway police regional commands following the invasion after allegations of omission by these agencies.[146]

On April 19, Institutional Security Bureau commander Gonçalves Dias, as well as other members of the agency, resigned following the release of images showing alleged leniency by the members during the invasion of the Planalto Palace, he was replaced by Ricardo Cappelli, which became interim commander, Cappelli soon dismissed several members of the Bureau which were accused of leniency with the attackers. Marcos Antonio Amaro dos Santos was later appointed by Lula on May 3rd as the commander of the GSI.[11]

As of October 2023, Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office charged roughly 1,400 people with crimes such as vandalism against public property, participation in a criminal armed organization, insurrection, among other things.[147] Also as of October 2023, 20 of said people were convicted and sentenced to jail terms ranging from 12 to 17 years by the Supreme Court of Brazil, i.e.without any possibility of further appeal.[148][149]

Since 9 January 2023 several lawsuits have been filed aiming to compensate and/or impose fines over the property damage caused by the attackers, and their financers. Over $14 million BRL (nearly $2 million USD) in public property were lost during the attacks according to the Attorney General of Brazil who has successfully asked to freeze 18.5 million BRL (approximately $3.5 million USD) from persons and companies who financed the perpetrators.[150][151]