SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Self-proclaimed “anti-fascists” took the streets of several cities in Brazil this week, rioting and burning Brazilian flags.
The violent activity followed tense exchanges this weekend across the country featuring pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations occurring in response to alleged “anti-fascist” soccer fans, some of whom became violent. In Rio de Janeiro, radical leftists wearing “Fuck Nazis” shirts assaulted a Bolsonaro supporter, beating him and kicking him to the ground.
The main focus of police activity despite this leftist violence last week, however, has been raids against conservative comedians, Youtubers, and assorted alternative media. The raids, allegedly necessary to fight “fake news,” were ordered by the nation’s Supreme Court. The victims assert they are unconstitutional.
The radical leftists out this week were demanding the resignation of President Jair Bolsonaro for his opposition to social distancing and lockdowns that many assert are necessary to contain the Chinese coronavirus. The rioters were seen with banners saying “Bolsonaro out!”
Paulo Eduardo Martins, a journalist and member of Brazil’s Congress, shared a video of the rioters burning the National Flag on Monday night. Among the chants in Curitiba, southern Brazil, were “Bolsonaro, take it in the ass,” and “Brazil to the fire,” while some held signs with violent messages like “fascists to the fire.”
Colonel Antonio Carlos de Morais also confirmed the Brazilian flag waving above the Iguaçu Palace – the seat of government in Paraná state – was vandalized.
This Tuesday, MMA Champion Wanderlei Silva called for a peaceful march to Iguaçu to once again hoist the national flag. After the Brazilian Flag was up once again at the Palace, demonstrators sang the National Anthem and shouted “Our Flag will never be red!” a slogan rejecting communism.
Radical leftists also vandalized and looted several banks belonging to companies such as Santander, Itaú, and Bradesco as well as small businesses in the city.
State police arrested eight rioters. At a press conference held Monday night, the deputy general commander of the Paraná Military Police, Colonel Antonio Carlos de Morais, said that his men had to act “with the necessary firmness” in the face of the violent action of the self-proclaimed “anti-fascists.”
The radical leftists in Curitiba also vandalized the Mueller Mall, the local Justice Court, and the state’s Industries Federation headquarters, leaving graffiti with the Communist hammer and sickle and “Bolsonaro out” written.
The Brazilian Military Police in Curitiba responded with tear gas. The situation remained tense.
In a press release, Curitiba’s city hall detailed the damage to various neighborhoods, stating, “seven areas were damaged in Praça Tiradentes, where the map signs were broken.”
“‘Civic Center’, ‘Comendador Fontana’, ‘Palácio’ and ‘Cândido de Abreu’ bus stations were also vandalized.”
The attacks in Brazil have happened simultaneously to the riots in the U.S., following the same MO: vandalizing private property and public institutions, beating down innocent people, and clashing with the police to denounce police brutality against “pro-democracy” protests.
President Bolsonaro tweeted a screenshot of Trump’s tweet announcing the U.S. will declare Antifa a terrorist organization, hinting he would respond to the destabilization attempts in Brazil the same way.
City Deputy of São Paulo Douglas Garcia announced through his Twitter account that, along with City Deputy Gil Diniz and Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, a thousand Antifa members have been identified in a file sent to the US Embassy and several US Consulates in Brazil.
Garcia said this measure is another form to prove the alliance between the US and Brazil.
“I believe their dreams of visiting Disney or spending their birthdays in the U.S. will have to change to Cuba, North Korea, or China,” Garcia said.
Curitiba became a city of utmost political significance in the country in 2014, when a corruption scandal directly involving socialist former presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff erupted after local authorities began investigating a money laundering car wash business, giving the probes their name: “Operation Car Wash.” The Operation that dismantled the biggest corruption scheme in the history of Brazil, revealed that several leftist parties – including the then-ruling Workers’ Party (PT), the Social Democratic Party (PSB?), the Democratic Party – colluded with the state oil company Petrobrás and crooked Odebrecht conglomerate to kick back thousands in taxpayers’ dollars to private politicians’ funds.
Rafael Valera is the Communications Director of the Venezuelan conservative movement Rumbo Libertad.
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