Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on Monday (Jan 8) vowed that there will be no pardon for his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters who rioted in the capital last year in protest against an election result. 

Meanwhile, Brazilians in Sao Paulo took to the streets to mark the first anniversary of the day where parts of the capital were stormed by protesters calling for a military coup after Lula’s win.

Brazilian authorities celebrated their country’s democratic system under a screen that read “Democracy Unshaken.” The gathering was attended by Congressional leaders, Supreme Court justices and government officials led by the Brazilian president in the capital Brasilia. 

“All those who financed, planned and executed the coup attempt must be exemplarily punished. There can be no pardon for those who attack democracy,” said Lula at the event held in Congress. 

He added, “Forgiveness would sound like impunity. And impunity would be a free pass for more acts of terrorism. We saved democracy… But democracy must be built and protected every day.” 

Notably, the 78-year-old was speaking in the main entry hall of Congress – one of three buildings far-right rioters attacked on this day last year, along with the presidential palace and Supreme Court next door. 

Bolsonaro supporters stormed the capital

Last year, on January 8, tens of thousands of supporters of hard-right former president Bolsonaro stormed the Brazilian capital city’s buildings that symbolise the country’s democracy, a week after Lula had taken office. 

Lula’s predecessor, who never conceded defeat, had left the country for the United States before the presidential handover to his successor. Bolsonaro is currently under investigation by the Supreme Court for allegedly instigating the unrest.

The riots in Brasilia were eerily similar to the riots which took place at the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021, where supporters of Donald Trump stormed the building in a bid to stop the American lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s win.  

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Bolsonaro, who is said to have considered Trump a political role model, has since denied involvement and called the events that unfolded on January 8 a “setup” orchestrated by the left, during a recent interview with CNN Brasil. 

So far, more than 2,000 people have been arrested in connection with the riots – although most were later released – and 30 have been convicted on charges including armed criminal conspiracy, a violent uprising against the rule of law and an attempted coup. 

The police said that they conducted new raids on Monday (Jan 8) to track down those who planned and financed the attacks. 

Meanwhile, the former president has been banned by the country’s electoral authority from running for elected office for eight years over his abuse of power and misuse of the media ahead of the 2022 election. This comes after Bolsonaro reportedly summoned ambassadors to talk about unfounded claims about Brazil’s electronic voting system.

Ahead of the first anniversary, a poll conducted by Genial/Quaest which was released on Sunday (Jan 7) showed that a large majority of Brazilians disapprove of the riots, with a staggering 89 per cent against the riot and only six per cent voting in favour of them. 

‘Jail for Bolsonaro’

Brazilians took to the streets in Sao Paulo on the first anniversary of the riots and called for clarity on the events and no pardon for the perpetrators, including Bolsonaro.

“No amnesty, no pardon. I want to see Bolsonaro in jail,” protesters were heard chanting in Portuguese, according to Reuters.