Storming Brazil's Congress - how social media is fuelling the mayhem
With rioters posting codes online to plan the invasion, the spotlight is once again on social media companies and the role they play.
In January 2021, the world watched on in disbelief as supporters of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol Building in Washington DC - unwilling to accept the result of the Presidential election which saw Joe Biden defeat the incumbent. And now, we’re seeing something very similar in Brazil. Supporters of the former President, Jair Bolsonaro, breached the security around the Supreme Court and Congress buildings in the capital Brasilia – refusing to accept the victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – or Lula as he’s more commonly known – in December's election. Social media videos showing supporters at the Brazilian Congress look unmistakably similar to clips of when the US Capitol was stormed; just swap the US red, white and blue with the green and yellow of the Brazilian flag. But there are differences too. Marianna Spring, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, answers 5 Questions On - how this played out online.
Image Credit: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
