Inside the attack on Brazil's Capitol, where reporters were chased, insulted and beaten

[Judi Lynn]

At least 16 reporters were assaulted in Brasília throughout the riots. A journalist who covered them tells what he and his colleagues saw



Rioters sit in stolen armchairs in Brasília. Picture by Murillo Camarotto.

Murillo Camarotto
Tuesday 17 January 2023

Even before the attack on Brazil's main government buildings, journalists knew they were not welcome by pro-Bolsonaro supporters. Thousands camped for weeks in the capital city of Brasília to put pressure on the army to stop President Lula da Silva’s inauguration. As foreign journalists arrived to cover the big event, some visited these camps to cover the protests. Almost none felt safe to do their job.

A Voice of America correspondent hinted at getting out of the car with his camera, but was quickly convinced to give up.

Fuelled by Bolsonaro’s incendiary rhetoric, the animosity of some of his followers against professional journalism reached a climax on 8 January, when far-right protesters marched on the Three Powers Plaza, a UNESCO world heritage site and the address of the main Brazilian institutions. They were joined by extremists who came by bus from other regions, especially those linked to agribusiness, illegal mining and logging where the former President is most popular.

I covered the events on that day on the ground for my newspaper Valor Econômico. Most protesters were middle-aged white men. But it was striking to see a large number of elderly women, religious leaders and even some children. Almost everyone wore green and yellow clothes and there were no clear demands beyond some kind of force returning Brazil’s government to Bolsonaro's hands.

For two months, they expected this force would be the Brazilian army, which Bolsonaro cultivated with money and government positions. As they saw the army was doing nothing, they decided to take the issue into their own hands.

More:
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/inside-attack-brazils-capitol-where-reporters-were-chased-insulted-and-beaten