This Sunday, thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro broke through police barricades in the capital Brasília and invaded the National Congress, the Supreme Court, and the president’s official workplace at the Planalto Palace.

It took several hours to remove the crowds, who opposed the inauguration of Bolsonaro’s opponent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There were hundreds of arrests. Bolsonaro’s supporters vandalized government buildings and destroyed countless documents, historical artifacts, and works of art.

The occupation of all three houses of government dramatically symbolized how fragile Brazilian democracy has become. The response of the new government will be crucial for the health of Brazil’s institutions.