Pro-Bolsonaro rioters on trial for storming Brazil’s top government offices

By MAURICIO SAVARESE
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court justices have begun mulling whether to convict defendants accused of storming top government offices on Jan. 8 in an alleged bid to forcefully restore former President Jair Bolsonaro to office. First in line is 51-year-old Bolsonaro supporter Aécio Lúcio Costa Pereira.  In January, cameras at the Senate filmed him wearing a shirt calling for a military coup and recording a video of himself praising others who had also broken into the building. Pereira has denied any wrongdoing and claimed he took part in a peaceful demonstration of unarmed people. Three other defendants also are standing trial as part of the same case.