Video of Bolsonaro Supporters Cheering on Military Before Arrest Goes Viral

Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro who rampaged through government buildings on Sunday are shown on video cheering the arrival of the military. But any hopes the protesters had that the army would support them were quickly dashed when the soldiers helped arrest rioters.

Shocking videos of pro-Bolsonaro protesters storming the Brazilian Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace in the capital Brasilia on Sunday, January 8, went viral. Clips showed rioters, many of them wrapped in Brazilian flags, smashing windows and furniture as they wandered around the government buildings.

In scenes that drew comparison with the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol in Washington D.C., Bolsonaro supporters broke through police barricades to gain entry to the Congress.

Unlike in the January 6 riot, new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known simply as Lula, had already been sworn in. Bolsonaro did not attend the January 1 inauguration and instead flew to Florida at the end of his term.

As the riot reached its peak, the Brazilian military arrived to secure the area—some of whom were greeted with cheers by Bolsonaro supporters, who see the army as potential allies.

However, photos also shared on Twitter showed members of the military appearing to apprehend rioters and Bolsonaro supporters, many seemingly under arrest, were later seen being escorted out of the buildings by the military.

Since being shared on Twitter by Metropoles reporter Alan Rios on Sunday, January 8, the video and photos have been seen more than 1.1 million times.

Hardline Bolsonaro supporters have wanted the military to intervene in some way as they believe the October run-off election, where the far-right leader narrowly lost to Lula, was rigged and stolen.

Bolsonaro, who is currently in the U.S., later condemned the riot in a series of tweets shared on Twitter, adding: "Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule."

But Lula hit out at his predecessor on Twitter, posting: "They [rioters] took advantage of the silence on Sunday, when we are still setting up the government, to do what they did.

"And you know that there are several speeches by the former president encouraging this. And this is also his responsibility and the parties that supported him."

The rioters were denounced by Latin American leaders and heads of state across the world, including President Joe Biden.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font tweeted: "Unprecedented attack on the three powers of the Brazilian state by Bolsonaristas [Bolsonaro supporters].

"The Brazilian government has our full support in the face of this cowardly and vile attack on democracy."

Biden said on Twitter: "I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with @LulaOficial."

Newsweek has contacted the Federal Police in Brazil for comment.