Brazil: Police take control of government buildings in Brasília

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In front of the Planalto Palace in Brasília: Security forces arrest Bolsonaro supporters

Photo: UESLEI MARCELINO / REUTERS

In the Brazilian capital Brasília, the police regained control of the parliament building a few hours after supporters of right-wing extremist ex-president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the congressional building.

The operations to evacuate the presidential palace and the Supreme Court continued on Sunday evening, according to journalists from the AFP news agency.

According to Brazilian media, at least 150 Bolsonaro supporters have been arrested so far.

Police used water cannons

By nightfall, security forces in the Brazilian capital appeared to be gradually bringing the situation back under control.

They kept demonstrators at bay with water cannons.

Dozens of Bolsonaro supporters remained on site, however, and the situation remained unclear.

Pictures from the CNN Brasil television channel showed Bolsonaro supporters dressed in yellow and green with their arms behind their backs, accompanied by police officers, descending the ramp of the Planalto presidential palace.

A bus with previously arrested demonstrators drove off in the direction of a police station.

Brazilian Senate Police said they arrested 30 people inside the Congress Chamber.

Vandals smashed doors and windows

Radical supporters of Bolsonaro violently invaded Congress in the afternoon.

They broke through police cordons and got inside the Congress building, as shown in videos circulating on online networks.

They smashed doors and windows and then poured into the Parliament building in large numbers.

They also stormed the nearby presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

Lula threatens the full force of the law

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara on Sunday, spoke of an attack by "fascist vandals".

Lula signed a decree giving federal authorities special powers to restore security in Brasília.

"We will find out who these vandals are and they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law," he said.

jpa/dpa/AFP