|
On 01 January 2023, Brazil inaugurated democratically elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and a week later on 08 January, while President Lula was in Sao Paulo for the weekend, an attack on three main government buildings in Brasilia took place by far-right protesters who are in support of former President Bolsonaro.
The attack involved hundreds of protesters 'storming' government buildings, including the Congressional Palace, the Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace in central Brasilia.
In an effort to disperse the protesters, Federal Police fired tear gas from helicopters at the assailants outside the National Congress Palace. Additionally, mounted police were deployed to the crime scenes in order to subdue the rioters; however, members of the Civil Police and the Municipal Guard of Rio de Janeiro were filmed showing support for the demonstrations, refusing to disperse the protesters.
The assault, which lasted three hours, was finally repulsed by the security forces and at least 1500 violent Bolsonarists were arrested in connection with the attack.
|  | |
This incident is eerily parallel, yet much more violent, to the 06 January 2021 storming of the US Capitol in District of Columbia, United States. As shown above, one protester was even dressed similarly to Jacob Anthony Chansley, the self-proclaimed 'QShaman,' who participated and was charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol Siege.
Just like what is now commonly known as 'J6,' angry crowds in Brasilia were seen entering the Congressional Palace, the Supreme Federal Court and the Presidential Palace, causing substantial damage in and outside the premises.
Former President Bolsonaro, who left Brazil for Florida in late December, repeatedly posed unfounded questions regarding the credibility of the country’s voting system, which inspired his supporters to carry out the violent demonstrations that culminated in the 08 January in Brasilia.
One day after this incident in Brasilia, Marcos do Val, senator of the centrist political party ‘Podemos’ and member of the Parliamentary Intelligence Commission, claimed that the Brazilian intelligence agency ABIN had informed the Minister of Justice, Flavio Dino, about the preparation of the riots the day before the attack by Bolsonaro’s supporters. However, according to Senator do Val, the Minister of Justice did not take any action.
Further, do Val reported that President Lula himself was aware of the preparation of the attack, promising he would show evidence for his claim, and suggesting that the government, with the aim of blaming the far-right, would benefit from the riots.
As a consequence of the alleged deliberate inaction of President Lula and Minister of Justice Dino, arrest warrants were issued for the former commander of the Military Police of the Federal District, Colonel Fabio Augusto Vieira and the Secretary of Public Safety, Anderson Torres. Meanwhile, the governor of the Federal District of Brazil, Ibaneis Rocha, was removed from office, and funds and a property of the ex-president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, were seized, pending investigations.
| | |
TRAC Incident:
Violent Clashes Erupted after the Police Start Clearing Climate Activists from the ‘Lignite’ Village Lützerath, Erkelenz,
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| |
Image: Protest at Lützerath | |
|
On 11 January 2023, violent clashes erupted between climate activists/left-wing extremists and the German police, after the official land-clearing process of the lignite-rich village Lützerath began, where about 25 treehouses, some of them at extraordinary heights, were built by activists.
Lützerath is a hamlet in the North Rhine-Westphalia town of Erkelenz. In order to develop the Garzweiler opencast mine, the energy supply company RWE intends to demolish the village of Lützerath and mine the lignite (coal) located beneath, just as it did in the southeast adjoining town of Immerath. Lützerath has been a point of contention for “climate protection activists” from all over Germany for several months.
Despite asking the squatters to be calm prior to the eviction, police reported violent occurrences shortly after the evacuation started, including the hurling of stones and Molotov cocktails in the direction of the police. Activists were warned that they must "anticipate the deployment of urgent coercion" if they don’t leave voluntarily. The first individuals complied with the request and freely left, but many others chose to stay and resist.
It should be noted that the protests were still ongoing as of 17 January 2023.
| |
|
TRAC Incident Report:
The Armed Forces of Puntland Falsely Claimed to have
Eliminated the Islamic State Somalia (ISS) Leader
Abu Bara al-Amani, in Bari District, Puntland, Somalia
| |
Image: Deceased Islamic State Somalia (ISS) leader Abu Bara al-Amani. | |
|
On 12 January 2023, the Armed Forces of Puntland claimed to have eliminated the Islamic State Somalia (ISS) leader Abu Bara al-Amani, in Bari District, Puntland, Somalia purportedly during an unsuccessful effort to attack the security forces barracks in Bari, al-Amani and his fellow militants were killed.
Al-Amani was an Ethiopian national and jihadist who was involved in organizing terrorist activities and enlisting new members for ISS. The security forces claim that ISS has one of its primary bases in Puntland, from which it launches attacks against military personnel and militants affiliated with al-Shabaab.
The timing of this alleged elimination of Islamic State Somalia (ISS) leader Abu Bara al-Amani raises great suspicion. Only one day prior, Islamic State Somalia (ISS) published their last official claim from the Puntland region, days after Puntland declared its independence from the Federal Government of Somalia. This very much indicates that at the Puntland government is attempting prove their legitimacy and capability of protecting its citizens, especially in comparison to the Federal Somali government.
TRAC's suspicions of his recent assassination was further confirmed by Islamic State insider Telegram channels, which responded to the claims of al-Amani's death by stating that he had already been killed in the past year.
The declaration from Puntland as a sovereign nation separate from Somalia is long coming, as Puntland has always thought of itself as autonomous. That said, it puts the Somalian National Army in a precarious position. Clearly, they can withstand a Civil War within the country against Puntland, but doing so would take valuable resources away from protecting the nation against al-Shabaab and Islamic State Somalia. For now, Puntland will likely attempt a geo-political battle to get recognition from neighboring countries as an independent state.
| |
|
TRAC Incident Report:
Islamic State (IS) Supporters Celebrate a
Knife Attack in Budapest, Hungary
| |
Image: Residential building where attack took place in Budapest, Hungary | |
|
On 12 January 2023, Islamic State (IS) supporters were seen celebrating a knife attack in Budapest, Hungary. This is the second knife attack in two days in Europe. On 11 January 2023, a lone wolf knife attack took place at the Gare du Nord Railway Station in Paris, leaving 6 people injured.
Local authorities reported that an unidentified man stabbed three police officers, who were trying to stop him from forcefully entering a flat in an apartment building. A fourth police officer shot him in the foot when he was trying to escape the scene, but one of the three officers stabbed succumbed to his injuries later at a nearby hospital.
It is worth mentioning that it is not unusual for the Islamic State to celebrate this incident as they often celebrate every type of unfortunate event, including natural disasters, in Western countries.
| |
|
TRAC Incident Report: Anti-Semitic Imagery Projects on the CSX Headquarters Building in Northbank Area, Jacksonville, Florida
| |
TRAC Incident Report: Accelerationist's Selfie Video 'Z-Cell' Film Themselves Vandalizing GOP Headquarters With Antisemitic and White Nationalist Symbols in Kent County, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | |
TRAC Incident Report: Belarus Hacker Group “Infinity Hackers BY” claimed a cyber offensive attack on the IRS website | | | | |
