Brazil: Lula accuses Bolsonaro of inciting "fascist demonstrators".

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Brazil's new President Lula da Silva

Photo: Andre Borges/EPA

Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is due to take office at the turn of the year, but some supporters of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro have objected.

Cars and buses went up in flames during riots in the capital Brasilia on Monday, and demonstrators also tried to break into the police headquarters.

Lula has now blamed incumbent Jair Bolsonaro for the violence.

Bolsonaro "still hasn't acknowledged his defeat and is inciting these fascist demonstrators," Lula told reporters on Tuesday.

The trigger for the escalation was the Supreme Court's decision to arrest a Bolsonaro-supporting indigenous leader for "anti-democratic" threats and violence.

Prosecutors have accused him of inciting violence against Lula.

Among other things, he is said to have organized a demonstration in front of the hotel where the left-leaning election winner is currently staying.

The police used rubber bullets and tear gas against Bolsonaro supporters on Monday.

The rioters threw stones and some were armed with sticks.

The security forces were criticized for not stopping the riots.

Designated justice minister announces consequences

According to the Reuters news agency, Brazil's designated Minister of Justice Flavio Dino announced in an interview that the rioters would be punished.

Dino said there would be no "magical amnesty".

At the same time, he complained that the federal authorities had so far been "strangely silent" when it came to the security precautions surrounding Lula's assumption of office on January 1st.

Lula was confirmed as the victor by the country's Supreme Electoral Court shortly before the clashes and broke down in tears at the ceremony.

He narrowly won the presidential elections at the end of October against the far-right Bolsonaro, who had been Brazil's head of state since 2019.

The new head of state is scheduled to take office on January 1st.

fek/AFP/Reuters