Brazilian authorities seek to punish pro-Bolsonaro rioters

Protesters, supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, stand on the roof of the National Congress building (AP)

Brazilian authorities have vowed to protect democracy after thousands of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed congress, the supreme court and presidential palace in the capital Brasilia.

The protesters were seeking military intervention to either restore the far-right Mr Bolsonaro to power or oust the newly inaugurated leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, unleashing chaos and destruction that bore striking similarities to the insurrection at the US capitol on January 6 last year.