Brazil protesters seek military rule

Dozens of protesters demanding a military coup yesterday forced their way into Brazil’s lower chamber of Congress in the capital, Brasilia.

At least 40 demonstrators scuffled with guards and took over the podium as a session began on Wednesday.

Denouncing government corruption, they called for a return to military rule, which Brazil saw from 1964 to 1985.

In Rio de Janeiro, police fired tear gas at public sector workers protesting against cuts.

The protesters swept past security guards and smashed a glass door to get into the parliament chamber, where they shouted “general here, general here” and sang the national anthem.

It took police three hours to round up all the protesters, according to reports which also said the protesters were all detained.

Later in the day, President Michel Temer’s spokesman, Alexandre Parola, called the protest an “affront” and said it was a “violation of the norms of democratic co-existence.”

“It’s worrying and serves as a warning. We are returning to an era of extremes,” a congressional deputy, Betinho Gomes, said. Public confidence in Brazilian institutions has been eroded by a massive corruption scandal and the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Temer was Rousseff ’s vicepresident before being promoted after her dismissal.

Last week she filed court documents accusing him of accepting a large bribe. His party says the money was a legal campaign donation.

Brazil was one of several Latin American nations where the military overthrew democratic governments in the 1960s and 70s.

Also on Wednesday, protesters gathered outside the state legislature where austerity plans to tackle the city’s financial crisis were being debated.

Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades into a crowd of about 2, 000 protesters, ranging from teachers to off-duty police officers.

The state has been hit by a drop in global oil and commodity prices and declared a financial emergency ahead of the Rio Olympics earlier this year.

Comments

Chelsea preparing world-record Bonucci bid

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic has told manager Antonio Conte that a January move for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci could be on the cards. According to reports from the Telegraph, the Russian businessman is prepared to bankroll a number of new signings in the New Year as the Blues look to retain the Premier League trophy. Bonucci would command a world-record fee for a defender, expected to be in the region of £50 million, should he move to Stamford Bridge.

Turkey bomb victims ‘mostly children’surviving

Most of the victims of the bombing of a Kurdish wedding party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Saturday were children, media reports have said. Twenty-nine victims were under the age of 18, reports said, with one official saying 22 were under the age of 14. The death toll rose to 54 yesterday. The suicide bomber himself was a child aged between 12 and 14, President Recep Tayyip One woman lost four children in the attack, Emine Arhan, said yesterday: “If it wasn’t for my only surviving child, I would have killed myself.” Another victim was a nine-year-old girl who had stayed on at the party to see the bride after her parents had left, according to reports. A disproportionately large number of women and children were killed in the attack because it targeted henna night, a part of the celebration attended mainly by women and children. Turkish officials said the type of bomb used, which contained scraps of metal, was similar to those used in previous attacks on pro-Kurdish gatherings. ...

Conte: Chelsea must learn to kill matches

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says his side must learn to kill off matches quicker following their 3-2 League Cup win over Bristol Rovers. Michy Batshuayi scored two goals either side of a Victor Moses strike at Stamford Bridge to send the home side into the third round, but they were given a fright when the visitors twice halved a two-goal deficit through Peter Hartley and an Ellis Harrison penalty. The victory is Conte's third in competitive matches as Chelsea boss, following 2-1 wins over West Ham and Watford in the Premier League - both of which came about thanks to late goals from Diego Costa. And the former Italy boss wants his players to become more ruthless in their approach in order to prevent similarly nervy encounters in future. "These games are very tough," he told BBC Radio London Sport. "When you dominate the game, you must kill the game. In this case, we didn't do this. "It's a pity because when you're playing very well, creating a lot...

Welcome to EagleWatch

Search This Blog