Brazil's president deploys National Guard as rioters storm Congress and palace
The president of Brazil has ordered its capital be "shut down" after thousands of "fanatic fascist" protesters stormed Brazil's National Congress building and demanded the government be ousted.
Huge numbers of people, several wearing yellow and green t-shirts, evaded security and poured inside the government building after months of ill feeling following October's elections.
Protests have been ongoing in the South American country since the election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and today's events come a week after he was sworn into office, with 150 people arrested today so far according to reports.
Supporters of the former president, Jair Bolsonaro - known as the Trump of the tropics, managed to bypass security barricades and invaded Congress, the Supreme Court and ransacked presidential palace in the capital.
Lula, away in Sa Paulo, has described the protests as "barbarism" and those involved as "fanatic fascists", as he received support from the British government and US President Joe Biden.
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Protesters inside the National Congress Building in Brasilia (reporterenato/Twitter)
Hundreds of people are said to have stormed the building (reporterenato/Twitter)He said: "You must have followed the barbarism in Brasilia today. Those people we call fascists, the most abominable thing in politics, invaded the palace and Congress. We think there was a lack of security.
"Whoever did this will be found and punished. Democracy guarantees the right to free expression, but it also requires people to respect institutions. There is no precedent in the history of the country what they did today. For that they must be punished.
"They took advantage of the silence on Sunday, when we are still setting up the government, to do what they did.
Protesters attack an armoured police car (Eraldo Peres/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"And you know that there are several speeches by the former president encouraging this and this is also his responsibility and the parties that supported him.
"I came to Araraquara today to show solidarity with the families affected by the rains and to find out how much will be needed to replace what was destroyed in the city. I was here when we started following the vandals on television."
The three affected buildings are connected through the vast Three Powers square in Brasilia and the protesters gained access to the roof of the Congress, smashed windows and damaged offices inside.
Several people look out from a shattered window from the Planalto Palace (Eraldo Peres/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The protesters are said to have called on the country's military to overthrow the new government as the invasion continues.
James Cleverly, the UK's Foreign Secretary, added: "The violent attempts to undermine democracy in Brazil are unjustifiable.
"President Lula and the government of Brazil have the full support of the UK.
Police fire water cannons at the protesters (ANDRE BORGES/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)President Biden is said to have called today's events "outrageous."
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted calling for Jair Bolsonaro to be extradited from the US, where he is said to be living in Florida.
Supporters of Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro clash with the police (AFP via Getty Images)Minister of Justice Flavio Dino said: "This absurd attempt to impose the will by force will not prevail.
"The Government of the Federal District claims that there will be reinforcements. And the forces at our disposal are at work.
"I'm at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice."
People inside ransack some of the offices (Eraldo Peres/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Local journalist Renato Souza said on Twitter: "Extremists invade the Congress building and try to force entry into the House floor.
"Legislative Police use gas bombs in the Green Room."
Several windows of the monument have been smashed and protesters have gained access to its roof.
Videos on social media showed the protesters inside the building (reporterenato/Twitter)Political analysts and the judiciary Bolsonaro have warned about for the possibility of the scenes of destruction, akin to the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol, has been feared something many
Rodrigo Pacheco, president of the Brazilian senate, said: "I spoke a little while ago, by telephone, with the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, with whom I have been in permanent contact.
"The governor informed me he is concentrating the efforts of the entire police apparatus in order to control the situation.
Damage to security fences outside the buildings (Eraldo Peres/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"The security forces of the Federal District, in addition to the Legislative Police of Congress, are committed to the action. I vehemently repudiate these anti-democratic acts, which must urgently undergo the rigor of the law."
Left-wing candidate Lula won with 50.9 percent of the votes after being banned from running in the last presidential election in 2018 because he was in jail.
Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, stand on the roof of the National Congress (Eraldo Peres/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The new leader was serving a 12-year corruption sentence, but was freed in 2019 after a supreme court ruling which infuriated followers of the far-right Mr Bolsonaro.
Mr Lula has always proclaimed his innocence and argued the case against him was politically motivated.
Supporters of Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro hold a demonstration at the Esplanada dos Ministerios (AFP via Getty Images)He said in his victory speech he said: "They tried to bury me alive and here I am.
“We weren’t facing an opponent, or a candidate, we faced the entire state apparatus working against us.
“I’ve been resurrected, because they wanted to bury me alive."
A protester inside the building waving a Brazilian flag (choquei/Twitter)"This country needs peace and unity. This population doesn't want to fight anymore."
Bolsonaro is blamed for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, which killed more people in Brazil than in any other nation, except the United States.
He has also made a number of shocking comments, including that he would rather his son was dead than gay and was ordered to pay a fine to fellow politician Maria do Rosario after calling her "ugly" and "not worth raping".
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