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- [Reporter] These videos show the moment
thousands of rioters charged through Brazil's Congress,
presidential Palace and Supreme Court.
Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro
smashed windows and ripped up documents.
The scenes reminiscent of the January 6th ride
on the US Capitol came amid protest
over Brazil's election results
and days after the inauguration
of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In the lead up to the vote,
Bolsonaro alleged election fraud without evidence
and he left the country after the election.
So as tensions rise between supporters
of the two main political factions in Brazil,
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here are the key moments in the months leading to the siege
that can help us understand how and why the chaos unfolded.
First, let's rewind to late October.
That's when leftist, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
won the presidential election runoff.
The vote was the closest in the country's history
with Da Silva taking 50.9% the vote to 49.1% for Bolsonaro.
It was also a highly polarizing campaign.
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With voters on the left and on the right,
divided over issues including economic insecurity
and Brazil's handling of the pandemic.
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Following the loss, Bolsonaro supporters show their anger
by camping outside military barracks
calling for the army to remove the president-elect.
(crowd protesting)
In his first remarks following his defeat,
Bolsonaro thanked his supporters
and said he'd followed the country's rules
but he didn't concede and he didn't congratulate Da Silva.
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And the same day protests from his supporters continued,
truck drivers blocked roads across the country
rejecting Bolsonaro's loss.
The crowds only began to disperse
after Bolsonaro's government confirmed the transition
toward a new administration
and asked supporters to stop blocking roads.
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But more unrest followed.
When Da Silva's election victory was certified
by the federal court,
Bolsonaro supporters held a series
of violent protests in Brasilia.
A bus was set on fire, leading to arrest.
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At the end of December,
Bolsonaro encouraged his supporters
"not to throw in the towel."
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On the same day, the outgoing president left his country
and photos from ROTA show that
Brazil's equivalent of Air Force one
landed in Orlando, Florida.
That meant he was out of the country
for Da Silva's inauguration ceremony in Brasilia.
And when protestors targeted
Brazil's most important government buildings.
(guns firing)
Police in Brazil detained more than 1500 people
accused of taking part in the unrest.
And the Supreme Court removed
Brazilian's Federal District Governor,
a Bolsonaro ally from his post.
After the siege, Bolsonaro condemned the acts
saying that any vandalism or invasion of public buildings
was unacceptable.
A day later, he was briefly hospitalized
after complaining of stomach pains related to injuries
he suffered years prior during a near fatal stabbing.
That's according to his wife.
Da Silva visited Brasilia after the riots
and his supporters also took to the streets.
The current president's also divisive figure
due to his role in a corruption scandal
as well as for the socialist policies he put in place
during his first mandate.
He has promised to investigate how the riots unfolded.
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