As Lula Supporters and Rivals Clash, Chaos at a Key Travel Hub
Opponents to former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva demonstrate in front of a Federal Police station in the airport of Congonhas, Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 4, 2016.
This article is for subscribers only.
Sao Paulo’s busiest airport looked like the stands of a heated soccer match Friday after former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was taken into police custody there and ordered to testify in a corruption probe that has split the nation.
His hard-core supporters overwhelmed corridors of Congonhas airport, waving red flags and chanting “Warrior of the Brazilian people,” as critics called him the “Thief of Brazil.” Police struggled to keep both sides from getting into fights, while passengers caught in the chaos interrupted their journeys to jump into the fray.