WASHINGTON: A week after his leftist challenger, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, took office, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace on Sunday.

Thousands of protesters broke over security barriers, scaled roofs, shattered windows, and entered all three structures, which were thought to be largely empty on the weekend. Some of the protesters demanded military action to either instal Bolsonaro again as president or remove Lula from office.

Before control of the massive Three Powers Square in Brasilia could be reestablished and hundreds of the participants were detained, hours had passed.

Lula read a recently signed decree ordering the federal government to assume responsibility of security in the federal district during a news conference from the state of Sao Paulo, where he accused Bolsonaro of supporting the rebellion by what he called "fascist zealots." “There is no precedent for what they did and these people need to be punished,” Lula said.

The national flag's green and yellow colours, which Bolsonaro's followers have appropriated as symbols of the country's conservative movement, were worn by demonstrators in the images on Globo News.

The Supreme Court chamber where the justices meet has seen recurrent altercations between the former president and them. They looted the presidential palace's offices and poured fire hoses inside the Capitol. All of the buildings had smashed windows.

Brazil is in turmoil and is divided as Lula returns to office