In scenes widely compared to the attack on the U.S. Capitol following the defeat of Donald Trump just over a year ago, a series of Brazilian government buildings, including the National Congress and the presidential palace, were taken over and vandalised during hours of unrest.

Since President Lula defeated Bolsonaro in last October’s election — winning 51 per cent of the vote in the second of two rounds of voting — Bolsonaro supporters have taken to the streets with calls on the military to remove him by force.

Videos shared on social media show a mob of people tearing apart the interior of the Supreme Federal Court. Another image, shared on Twitter by Scotland-based journalist Nathália Urban, shows a Bolsonaro supporter wearing judicial robes stolen from the court.

President Lula yesterday described the events as a terrorist attack led by “vandals, neo-fascists and fanatics” and vowed to punish the participants and their financiers. More than 300 people have already been arrested.

The Supreme Federal Court has also suspended the pro-Bolsonaro governor of the Federal District, who has responsibility for security in the area including all of the government buildings attacked yesterday.

Bolsonaro is currently in the US and has denied any involvement in yesterday’s events.

The Brazilian Bar Association condemned the attacks as “unacceptable” and a threat to Brazil’s democracy.

In a statement, the lawyers’ body said: “In addition to physical depredation, the attacks aim to weaken the executive, legislative and judiciary powers and the federal constitution, which are the pillars of the longest democratic period in Brazilian history.

“Such acts must be repelled by the security forces in accordance with legal provisions. It is time to end once and for all the attempts against the democratic rule of law in the country. Only in this way will it be possible to seek the peace necessary for Brazil.

“For this, it is necessary that the architects of the coup uprisings be identified and punished, always having access to due process, full defence and adversarial procedure.”