A total of 1 843 participants of anti-government protests, held by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on January 8, have been detained, Brazil’s Federal Police said on Wednesday.
“A total of 1 843 people have been taken by the Military Police of the Federal District to the National Police Academy. All detainees have been identified by the Federal Police and will be charged under their duties for crimes of terrorism, criminal conspiracy, attempt on the democratic state of law, coup d’état, pursuance, incitement to crime, and other,” the police said on the website.
The police said 1 159 of those detained have been identified, interrogated, and arrested. They have been handed over to the country’s civil police for medical examination and distribution in penitentiary facilities. Some 209 people were arrested on the day of the protests.
The police said, after the last 57 hours of sustained work and the mobilisation of some 550 police officers, that it was the largest judicial operation in history.
Bolsonaro lost the presidential election in Brazil in October and left for the US in late December. He did not participate in the inauguration of his successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on January 1.
Bolsonaro’s supporters, rallying against the election results since their announcement, stepped up the protest last week and attempted to storm several government buildings on Sunday. Police regained control of the buildings by the evening.
Sputnik