Brazil: Convictions for January 8 Rioters Requested as Most Brazilians Condemn Pro-Bolsonaro Violence

For the first time since the pro-Jair Bolsonaro January 8 riots in Brasilia, the Solicitor General's Office of Brazil has requested that a civil court convict some of the rioters who took part in the failed coup against President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.

On Friday, the Solicitor General asked to make 54 people and five companies pay 20.7 billion Brazilian real, or around $4 million, for damages to government properties and artworks during January 8 riots.

Many of the Brazilian rioters not only caused damage to federal buildings but also destroyed priceless pieces of art in Brazil. According to The Brazilian Report, the cost of property damages can still increase during the cost of the lawsuit.

The Brazilian rioters may find it difficult to pay for the government properties they damaged, as the Brazilian government froze the assets of many of the 54 people and five companies named in the conviction request.

Majority of Brazilians Condemn January 8 Political Violence

The rioters who took part in the January 8 riots in Brasilia believed that Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva cheated in the elections and former President Jair Bolsonaro should have won.

Thousands from different parts of the country descended into the Brazilian capital, thinking that the police and military would take their side and overthrow Lula. However, that did not happen as the police arrested many of them, and most Brazilians did not seem to agree with the rioters either.

According to CNN, a Datafolha poll revealed that 93% of Brazilians condemned what happened on January 8, which saw the pro-Bolsonaro rioters attack the Congress, Presidential Palace, and Supreme Court buildings. Only 3% of the respondents supported the rioters.

As for Bolsonaro, the poll showed that over half of the respondents, around 55%, said he holds some responsibility for the attacks. Another 39% said he could not be held responsible.

The poll also showed that 46% think all those involved in the invasion should be imprisoned. However, around 9% of the respondents say that none of them should be jailed.

Arrests are continuing as Brazilian authorities continue their investigations into the riot and who masterminded the entire event, which was publicly planned online, even using Telegram.

Brazil Racing to Restore Artworks Damaged by the January 8 Rioters

The supporters of Jair Bolsonaro not only just smashed windows but also slashed priceless paintings and urinated on tapestries. They also decapitated statues as well as destroyed pieces of furniture.

Maria Cristina Monteiro, a coordinator for the Senate Museum, told the Washington Post that she decried the horrible treatment of the priceless art pieces. She usually works to preserve these artworks but is now racing to restore some of them.

She and other workers at the Senate Museum have made progress and have already restored dozens of damaged objects. However, she admitted that some of the priceless artworks that had been vandalized were beyond repair, with some items requiring the construction of new contraptions to avoid damaging them further.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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