Brazil: protesters stole weapons and ammunition from the Planalto Palace

The right-wing protesters who invaded the Planalto Palace on Sunday (Dec. 8, 2023) took weapons and ammunition from the GSI (Institutional Security Office). 

The room where the weapons are located is located on the ground floor and is not armored. Information about the thefts was released on video by the chief minister of the Presidency’s Social Communication Secretariat, Paulo Pimenta.

There is no information on what types of weapons and how much ammunition was stolen. In the video, Pimenta said that this “is yet another crime to be investigated”. Next to the minister in the video, was the national consumer secretary, Wadih Damous.

INVASION OF THE THREE POWERS

Around 3 pm this Sunday (8 Jan. 2023), right-wing demonstrators invaded the National Congress after breaking protection barriers placed by the security forces of the Federal District and the National Force. There, they invaded the Green Hall of the Chamber of Representatives, an area that gives access to the plenary of the House.

Then, invaders went to the Planalto Palace and destroyed several rooms in the seat of the Executive Branch. Finally, the radicals invaded the STF (Federal Supreme Court). They broke windows on the façade and reached the plenary.

They are mostly people dressed in T-shirts from the Brazilian soccer team, clothes in the colors of the Brazilian flag and, sometimes, with the flag itself on the back. They call themselves patriots and defend a military intervention (in practice, a coup d’état) to overthrow the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

BEFORE THE INVASION

The organization of the movement was captured by the federal government, which determined the use of the National Force in the region. On Sunday morning (8 Jan.), there were 3 buses of security agents on the Esplanade. But it was not enough to contain the invasion of radicals in the seat of the Legislative.

During the weekend, dozens of buses, hundreds of cars and hundreds of people arrived in the federal capital for the demonstration. Initially, the group concentrated on the headquarters of the Army Headquarters, 7.9 km from Praça dos Três Poderes (3 Powers Square).

Afterwards, the radicals walked down the Monumental Axis to the Esplanade of the Ministries, escorted by the Military Police of the Federal District.

Access from the avenues was blocked for vehicles. But there was no impediment for those walking past.

During the day, police officers searched pedestrians who wanted to go to the Esplanade. Each pedestrian access point had a pair of military police officers to search bags and backpacks. The focus was on identifying sharp objects, such as glass and knives.

AGAINST LULA DA SILVA

Since the election results, radical Bolsonarists have occupied barracks in different Brazilian states. They also held protests on federal highways and, after Lula da Silva’s diplomacy, promoted violent acts in the center of Brasília. In addition, the police found explosive materials in 2 locations in Brasilia.

With information from Poder360