Most Brazilians oppose the weekend riots, which saw more than 2,000 people being detained by police.

A vast majority of Brazilians condemn recent riots and invasions of federal government buildings, and more than half say former President Jair Bolsonaro is at least partially responsible for them, according to new polling.

People gather during a protest held by supporters of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro against President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won a third term following the presidential election run-off, at the Army Headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, November 15, 2022. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

According to new polls, the majority of Brazilians deplore recent riots and invasions of federal government buildings, and more than half believe the former president Jair Bolsonaro is at least partially to blame.

Following the attacks on the Congress, Presidential Palace, and Supreme Court buildings, 93% of Brazilians oppose them, while only 3% support them, according to fresh data from the polling company Datafolha issued on Wednesday.

The leftist President Luiz InĂ¡cio Lula da Silva, who returned to office after a 12-year hiatus following a narrow run-off victory over Bolsonaro last October, was under siege on Sunday by supporters of Bolsonaro who surrounded federal buildings in the nation’s capital city of Brasilia. They demanded that the military step in and remove Lula da Silva.

According to the study, 46% of respondents believe that everyone who participated in the invasion should be sent behind bars, while 9% disagree.

On Sunday, security personnel apprehended Bolsonaro-supporting demonstrators.
Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino
In regards to how the new government would handle the attacks going forward, 64% of those surveyed said they thought it will maintain control, while 29% think da Silva won’t be able to. On January 10 and 11, 1,214 Brazilians over the age of 16 were contacted via phone.

This week, the attacks’ aftereffects are still being felt.

According to Lula da Silva, certain members of the military police and the armed forces of the Federal District, which contains the nation’s capital Brasilia, cooperated with demonstrators when they entered the Congress, the Presidential Palace, and the Supreme Court.

The Attorney General’s Office requested that the defendants be held accountable for the harm done to federal public property because they “had a crucial role in the development of the events of January 8.”

Assets belonging to the accused totaling R$52 million Brazilian reals (approximately US$10 million) are asked to be banned and used for property damage repairs if they are proven guilty.

Sharing video of the attack gave the impression that the police were observing as demonstrators marched into the government buildings.

Lula da Silva informed reporters at a press conference held from the Presidential Palace that his administration will look into any public servants who were thought to be aiding the demonstrators.

“I’m awaiting the end of the conflict. I want to view every tape that was made within the palace, at the Supreme Court. There were numerous parties involved in this. There were numerous members of the military.

Investigators are working quickly to identify the riot’s instigators and sponsors. According to a document released by the Federal District Judiciary on Thursday, the Brazilian Attorney General’s Federal Office (AGU) asked the court to freeze the assets of 52 people and seven businesses with alleged ties to the January 8 riots.

According to the document, individuals and businesses paid for the buses that transported Bolsonaro supporters from across the nation to Brasilia on January 8 to demonstrate.