Image source, Reuters

For those of you just joining us, welcome along (and good morning). If you are in need of a catch up, here's where things stand in Brazil:

• Thousands of supporters of far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, stormed Congress and other government buildings in Brazil's capital city Brasilia on Sunday
• Crowds dressed in the national colours (yellow and green) and wrapped in the Brazilian flag overwhelmed police, in scenes reminiscent of the storming of the US Capitol two years ago
• Some reached the deserted Senate chamber, others entered the presidential palace and the Supreme Court
• Brazilian security forces say they have now regained control, and hundreds of people have been arrested by police
• Bolsonaro's supporters refuse to accept his election defeat last October by his socialist rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was sworn in a week ago
• Bolsonaro, who is currently in Florida, has condemned the protests and rejected Lula's accusation that he had a role in spurring the unrest
• Lula has inspected the damage inflicted on Congress, vowing to publish those responsible
• The governor of Brasilia, a former Bolsonaro ally, has been suspended for security failures, while the Brazilian government has announced the tightening of security around the capital

Katy Watson
South America correspondent in São Paulo

Image source, Getty Images

This is not just about protestors being angry that Jair Bolsonaro lost – it’s more than that.

Many of the supporters I’ve spoken to in the past couple of months have said he’s less relevant than he was. What the hard-line protestors want more than anything is President Lula back in prison, not in the presidential palace.

It’s their fear of communism and their (incorrect) view that Lula is a communist that is fuelling their anger more than anything.

Bolsonaro was the vehicle for that anger - he was the person to displace Lula. But he has been very quiet since losing (even flying off to Florida to avoid the inauguration) - and not even Bolsonaro has been as hard-line as his supporters.

Some people are disappointed in that. But his deputy, Hamilton Mourao, said on the eve of Lula’s inauguration that silence from leaders sows chaos in society - a direct criticism of his former boss - and we are seeing that play out now.

Some people argue Bolsonaro is irrelevant – it’s only the army that can save Brazil.

This in a country that has a history of military dictatorship of course (many of these protestors if you asked them about the dictatorship would say that there never was one, the army just brought in order and economic growth).

This a country where military rule is still very acceptable among a sizeable part of the population.

So while the attack is straight out of the Donald Trump playbook in many ways, this does differ from the US - it’s not just about Bolsonaro copying what Trump did.

There are deep Brazilian roots in all of this and a throwback to the Cold War fear of communism.

Matt Murphy
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Meta says it has declared the storming of Brazil's Congress a "violating event" and that it will start removing and blocking content defending the attack.

A spokesperson for the company - whose platforms include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp - told the BBC that it would immediately remove posts "calling for people to take up arms or forcibly invade Congress, the Presidential palace and other federal buildings".

"We're also designating this as a violating event, which means we will remove content that supports or praises these actions," the spokesperson added. "We’re actively following the situation and will continue removing content that violates our policies.”

Meta has previously flagged other serious incidents - including the 6 January attacks on the US Capitol - as violating events. The policy allows the company to speed up the removal of harmful content.

Vanessa Buschschluter
Latin America and Caribbean Editor, BBC News

Image source, Reuters

The rioting in the capital, Brasilia, comes just a week after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known known as Lula, was sworn into office.

Brazil is a country which is deeply divided and the storming of its Congress is a dramatic sign of how far some Brazilians are willing to go to attack the democratic institutions which they say no longer represent them.

Lula said the storming was "without precedent". He also accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the rioters' actions via social media.

Following an acrimonious and bitter campaign, Lula defeated far-right incumbent Bolsonaro, by a narrow margin in the run-off on 30 October.

In the run-up to the election, Bolsonaro repeatedly claimed that Brazil's electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud - a claim dismissed by the electoral authorities.

Many of Bolsonaro's supporters saw him as a "saviour" who they said defended values they hold dear, which they listed as "God, fatherland, family".

These voters had been convinced that Lula would lose and they did not accept his win quietly.

Seeing Lula take office and move into the presidential palace was too much for those who routinely label him a "communist threat to Brazil".

Read the full story here.

In response to Sunday's attack on Congress, left-wing parties are urging Brazilians to take part in a massive pro-democracy rally in Sao Paulo - the country's most populous city - on Monday.

The march is set to take place at 18:00 local time (21:00 GMT) along the Avenue Paulista, a 2.8km (1.7 mile) long boulevard which runs through the heart of the city.

In a post to its Twitter page, President Lula's Worker's Party called on Brazilians to take to the streets to oppose what it called Sunday's "terrorist action" in Brasilia.

Guilherme Boulos, a Federal Deputy for the Socialism and Liberty Party, also urged people to attend the rally and fight back against "the scam".

Mike Wendling
US disinformation reporter

The scenes in Brasilia on Sunday looked eerily similar to events at the US Capitol on 6 January two years ago - and there are deeper connections as well.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon spread baseless rumours about election fraud on his podcast and on social media for weeks around the time of the Brazilian election in October.

He promoted the hashtag #BrazilianSpring, and continued to encourage opposition even after incumbent Jair Bolsonaro himself appeared to accept the results.

Mr Bannon kept up the rhetoric on Sunday, even as footage emerged of widespread destruction in Brazil. "Lula stole the Election… Brazilians know this," he wrote repeatedly on the social media site Gettr.

Other Trump allies like Ali Alexander encouraged the crowds, writing "Do whatever is necessary!"

And like what happened in Washington on 6 January 2021, those false reports and unproven rumours helped fuel a mob that smashed windows and stormed government buildings in an attempt to further their cause.

Read the full story here.

Leandro Machado
BBC Brasil

In the early hours of Monday, the Supreme Court of Brazil removed the governor of Brasilia's federal district, Ibaneis Rocha, for 90 days.

The decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes was published after thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court.

Rocha had earlier apologised for his failure to prevent the riot.

The court's decision was in response to a request from the Attorney General's Office and Senator Randolfe Rodrigues.

Moraes argued that Ibaneis' conduct was "painfully silent" in the face of Sunday's events.

According to Moraes, Ibaneis “not only made public statements defending a false ‘free political demonstration in Brasilia’ – even though all networks knew what attacks on the institutions and their members would be carried out – he also ignored all appeals by the authorities to carry out a security plan".

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has removed the governor of Brasilia, Ibaneis Rocha, from his position after Sunday's attacks, CNN Brasil has reported.

Earlier, Rocha shared a video to social media apologising for his failure to prevent the riot.

“I want to apologise to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for what happened today in our city," he said. "What happened here in our city today was simply unacceptable.”

Felipe Corazza
BBC Brasil

One of the key issues under scrutiny right now is: how was it possible for thousands of protesters to storm the presidential palace, Supreme Court and Congress?

Since Lula won the run-off in October, the most radical “bolsonaristas” or supporters of former president Bolsonaro, have been gathering in front of military barracks not only in the capital, Brasília, but in many other cities.

The buildings that house the three branches of power in Brazil are all gathered in a square – the “Praça dos Três Poderes”, or Three Powers Square.

Across the square, through a larger corridor, is the Esplanada dos Ministérios, or Ministries Promenade, the avenue with all the ministries’ buildings.

The “bolsonaristas” had to leave the army headquarters in Brasília – about 8km from Esplanada – and walk in large groups all the way to the square.

This happened early on Sunday afternoon - now experts are asking how such a long march got through security and reached the square, only to then enter government buildings.

Footage from local TV stations and social media showed little to no resistance from security forces as the protesters went by.

To make matters more complicated, analysts note that an army brigade is permanently stationed in the presidential palace. Yet rioters managed to invade and vandalise the building.

It took more than three hours and a federal decree of "intervention" - an order putting the federal government directly in charge of the security forces in Brasilia - to get things under control.

Minister of Justice Flávio Dino has said an investigation is already underway, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Rosa Weber said all those responsibile for security in Brasilia would be investigated.

Brasilia security forces are yet to make a public statetment or respond to the questions being raised.

Frances Mao
Reporting from Brasilia

Just hours before the riot, I had been in the centre of Brasilia on a family holiday, sightseeing.

The goal was to see Oscar Niemeyer’s famous star-shaped Brasilia cathedral and some other iconic architecture - instead we found ourselves sharing the footpath with anti-Lula protesters in their yellow shirts and Brazilian flags.

The protesters were quiet and, at that point, did not seem particularly angry - most were just standing around, seeking shade under trees.

Riot police were stationed every 100 metres and had blockaded the streets around the central Esplanada avenue. Armed officers were stationed at every entrance, checking people’s bags as they passed through.

But vendors were selling popcorn and ice cream. Yellow-shirters mingled with tourists taking pictures outside the National Museum and the Cathedral.

A local friend assured me that these demonstrations had become common since the election.

Most of the attendees were men, but I also saw young women and parents carrying their young children as they walked down the Esplanada to the Three Powers Plaza - which houses parliament - and the presidential palace adjacent to it.

It was calm - a few chants here and there but nothing to provoke alarm. At one point, a wind blasting down the avenue blew over the police barriers and officers rushed to prop them up. We left for lunch, thinking not much more of it, unaware of what would soon unfold just blocks away.

Image source, Reuters

Many of those who stormed the government buildings in Brasilia have for weeks been declaring their support for the country’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.

The former army captain narrowly lost October’s election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was sworn in last week - a result many Bolsonaro supporters have refused to accept.

The far-right leader has courted considerable controversy since he was voted into office in 2018, launching broadsides on women, as well as gay and black people.

He has also been accused of using violent rhetoric against opponents and declaring nostalgia for Brazil’s military dictatorship.

To his supporters, however, he’s a straight-talking leader and strongman who is tough on corruption and keen on economic growth.

From his self-imposed exile in Florida, Bolsonaro has condemned these recent protests, but there are those who argue he played a role in the unrest by refusing to admit defeat in last year's election.

Felipe Corazza
BBC Brasil

Brazilian Justice minister, Flávio Dino, said at least 200 of the rioters who stormed critical buildings in the capital, Brasília, have been arrested. The situation in and around Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace is under control after security forces managed to expel supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

"This is terrorism, it's a coup. We are certain that the vast majority of the population doesn’t want this darkness to be implemented," Dino said at a press conference.

He also accused the security forces in the region, commanded by a Bosolnaro ally, of being "negligent” during Sunday's protests.

“I want to believe that the governor will determine the responsibilities in relation to those who didn’t fulfil their constitutional duties,” he added.

Image source, CNN

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in Brasilia, near the federal Supreme Court, CNN Brazil reports.

He is accompanied by his top ministers - and has reportedly met with Supreme Court justices.

Leandro Machado
BBC Brasil

Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro took weapons from the presidential palace, according to cabinet members in the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.“We are in the Institutional Security Office room. In each of these briefcases [there] were both lethal and non-lethal weapons. They were stolen by criminals,” said Paulo Pimenta, chief minister of communications, in a video posted on Twitter.

The government did not say how many weapons were taken by Bolsonaro supporters who invaded the presidential palace on Sunday.According to the police, at least 200 people were arrested during or after the invasion of the Congress, Supreme Court and Planalto Palace.

Footage shared on social media shows the moment thousands of supporters of Brazil's far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro smash the windows of the country's Supreme Court.

Here are the latest development's in Brazil's capital city:

• Thousands of supporters of Brazil's far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, have stormed Congress in Brasilia
• Crowds dressed in the national colours and wrapped in the Brazilian flag overwhelmed police in scenes reminiscent of the storming of the US Capitol two years ago
• Some reached the deserted Senate chamber, others entered the presidential palace, the Supreme Court and other government buildings
• The security forces say they have now regained control of the Congress building
• Bolsonaro's supporters refuse to accept his election defeat last October by his socialist rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was sworn in a week ago
• Bolsonaro, who is currently in Florida, tweeted several hours after Congress was stormed. He condemned the protests and rejected Lula's accusation that he had a role in spurring the unrest

More than six hours after federal government offices in Brasilia were breached, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has tweeted to condemn the unruly mob of his supporters.

"Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy," he said, before going on to condemn the "invasions of public buildings as occurred today".

Bolsonaro has been living in Florida since late December, having left 48 hours before Lula's inauguration.

More on Biden's response now.

"I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil," he said in a tweet during his first visit as president to the US-Mexico border.

"Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined."

Biden added that he was looking forward "to continuing to work" with Lula.

Gem O'Reilly
BBC News

World leaders have condemned the storming of Brazil's Congress, offering support for the country's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

US President Joe Biden described the situation as "outrageous".

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador tweeted: "Lula is not alone, he has the support of the progressive forces of his country, of Mexico, of the American continent and of the world."

Chilean President Gabriel Boric described the incident as "a cowardly and vile attack on democracy".

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro described the rioters as "neofascist groups" seeking to unseat Lula.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez condemned the "coup attempt".

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his support for Lula, saying: "The will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected!"

The European Union's top foreign affairs official, Josep Borrell, tweeted that he was "appalled by the acts of violence and illegal occupation of Brasilia's government quarter by violent extremists", adding his support for Lula.

We've already heard lots of international condemnation of today's attack but there's one person who's so far remained silent: former President Jair Bolsonaro.

None of the social media accounts belonging to the ex-leader - who is in self-imposed exile in Florida - or his three lawmaker sons have said anything about the dramatic scenes out of Brasilia.

His son Flavio serves in the Senate, Eduardo serves in the Congress and Carlos is on Rio de Janeiro’s city council.

Unlike two years ago when the US Congress was stormed while lawmakers where meeting there to certify Joe Biden's election victory, most Brazilian lawmakers were not thought to be in their offices when the storming happened today.

Bolsonaro flew to the US state of Florida 48 hours before his rival Lula was sworn in as president last week.

Photos and videos have emerged of him dining at a KFC restaurant and wandering around a supermarket.

According to the New York Times, he is living in a house in Orlando - not far from Disney World - which he is renting from a professional mixed-martial arts fighter.

Other political allies of Bolsonaro - including those that have openly accepted his defeat - also remained silent.