A federal judge on the top court in Brazil signed arrest warrants for two men who commanded security operations at the central plaza in Brasília after witnesses said security personnel appeared to stand down as the mob of anti-government rightwing supporters of Florida Man Jair Bolsonaro descended, the Washington Post reports.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the arrests of Anderson Torres, the public security chief for the federal district of Brasília who was also the federal Justice Minister before he was fired by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Sunday, and Col. Fábio Augusto, commander of military police in the district.
Witnesses said security officers at the three federal buildings–housing the nation’s presidential offices, federal legislature and Brazil’s top court–backed away from positions as the crowd approached, apparently in a move coordinated with the protesters to let them occupy the buildings. The president’s communications director said it appeared some officers were related to people in the protest. “They’re not going to go after their own relatives,” she said.