Over 700 in custody after storming of Brazilian government buildings



A police officer escorts an arrested supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro after storming the government headquarters Palacio do Planalto. Angry Bolsonaro supporters had stormed yesterday the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Palacio do Planalto, the seat of government, causing significant damage to the buildings. Matheus Alves/dpa

More than 700 suspects are still in custody after radical supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed Brazil's main government buildings on Sunday, and authorities are ramping up security measures to prevent further such riots.

The thousands of rioters who attacked Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasília refuse to acknowledge Bolsonaro's defeat to leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was sworn in as president a week ago.

The penitentiary administration of the capital district published the names of 763 arrested on Wednesday.

They had been detained both directly after the attacks and when a tent camp of Bolsonaro supporters was broken up outside the armed forces headquarters in the capital on Tuesday.

It was initially unclear whether the list that has now been published includes all the suspects who remain in custody.

In total, police had arrested at least 1,500 people. Several hundred people arrested directly during the riots were taken to various prisons, and around 1,200 Bolsonaro supporters from the protest camp were taken to the Federal Police Academy to have their personal details ascertained.

Afterwards, however, many people such as mothers of small children and elderly people were released.

Meanwhile authorities have ramped up security measures in Brasília to prevent potential further actions by Bolsonaro supporters.

"A repeat of the [January 8] events is out of the question," said the head of security in the capital district, Ricardo Cappelli, on Brazilian television on Wednesday.

In future, the entire police force would be mobilized in case of possible seditious acts, he said.

"The esplanade of the ministries is already closed to car traffic. There will be barriers, roadblocks and controls," Cappelli continued.

Bolsonaro supporters had called for a "mega-demonstration to regain power" in all state capitals of Brazil on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile an overwhelming majority of Brazilians, 93%, condemn Sunday's attacks on the government sites in the capital, a survey by the Datafolha polling institute found.

Only 3% of those questioned supported the riots, according to the survey.

During the violence in Brasília, Bolsonaro's supporters ransacked the National Congress building before directing their rage toward the nearby Supreme Court and the presidential Planalto Palace. It took security forces several hours to regain control of the area.

Soldiers and security forces clear a camp of former Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro supporters in front of the army headquarters. Angry Bolsonaro supporters had stormed yesterday the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Palacio do Planalto, the seat of government, causing significant damage to the buildings. Marcello Casal/Agencia Brazil/dpa
A supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves a camp in front of the army headquarters. Angry Bolsonaro supporters had stormed yesterday the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Palacio do Planalto, the seat of government, causing significant damage to the buildings. Isabella Finholdt/dpa


source https://www.rawstory.com/over-700-in-custody-after-storming-of-brazilian-government-buildings-2659180539/

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