<h5>What has happened in Brazil?</h5>  <p>Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed Brazil’s capital building in Brasilia on 8th January 2023. This happened a week after current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took the post. The supporters clashed with police and the scene soon turned into a riot. </p>
<p>Reports say that the protestors broke down police barriers and shattered the windows of the building. Protestors also broke into the Supreme Court and the presidential palace. The current president was in Sao Paulo at the time and was not in the building.</p>
<p>Protestors also overturned furniture and looted objects inside government facilities. Outnumbered, the police used rubber bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas to control the crowd. Later, the Brazilian army helped retake some of the buildings from the protestors.
</p> <h5>What was the reason for the riots?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/riots-break-out-in-brazil%E2%80%99s-capital%2F2222.jpeg?alt=media&token=a8eb38f3-89c5-405f-9a18-7acd399c9229" alt="What was the reason for the riots?" >
        <figcaption>Broken windows seen on the capital building. Photo by Anthony Boadle.</figcaption>
      </figure> <p>For months, protesters have demanded that the military stop Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the recently elected president, from taking office on 1st January 2023. Many supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro have claimed that the election in October 2022 was rigged. However, they had no proof to back up their claim.</p>
<p>For years, Bolsonaro has claimed that Brazil's election system is fraudulent and the country's elites planned to overthrow him. But, even he couldn’t provide any evidence to support his claim. President Lula said that the false accusations encouraged the attack.</p>
<p>After President Lula took the post of the country’s president, protestors called for others to join them in a big march on 8th January 2023. It quickly became violent.
</p> <h5>What was the reaction to the riots?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/riots-break-out-in-brazil%E2%80%99s-capital%2F3333.jpeg?alt=media&token=46606649-6c47-4e6b-9a68-0395ce6a8bd8" alt="What was the reaction to the riots?" >
        <figcaption>The rioting crowd being controlled by the authorities. Photo by Thomas van Linge</figcaption>
      </figure> <p>President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s target as president was to unite the country. The riots imply that the nation's divides are deeper than many had thought. This presents the new president with a huge issue only one week into his presidency.</p>
<p>The president also issued an emergency order that permits the government to take whatever means necessary to restore order in the capital until 31st January 2023. The president checked the damage in the capital late in the day. He said that the government will also look into anyone who may have funded the riots and necessary actions will be taken against them.</p>
<p>Former President Jair Bolsonaro criticised the protests, saying that peaceful protests are important but one should not damage and attack public buildings. A lot of people who took part in the riots were also arrested.
</p> <h5>What did we learn from this article?</h5>  <p>From this article, it is important to take the lesson that in a democracy, people have the right to protest and share their opinions. However, such protests must not turn violent. Peaceful protests are the best way to show public opinion to a government.</p>
<p>Let’s hope that the situation in Brazil improves and the country is soon united as one!
</p>

Recently, riots broke out in Brazil’s capital city. Why did it happen, and what was its aftermath? Let’s read to find out more.

Riots Break Out in Brazil’s Capital

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