VIDEO. They were debating on TV: Brazilian politician hits rival with chair live on air

L'agression en plein débat retransmis en direct à la télévision brésilienne. Capture X @brazilpress

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, a debate between two candidates for mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, is broadcast on television. But live on air, one candidate hits his rival with a chair.

The municipal elections in the major Brazilian city of São Paulo will take place soon, on October 6. While two candidates were debating live on television, social democrat and TV journalist José Luiz Datena attacked his far-right opponent Pablo Marçal, reports the Huffington Post.

Television attack

The scene is almost unbelievable. Pablo Marçal, a young 37-year-old influencer and conservative with millions of followers on social networks, is not the favorite for the election that will be held in a few weeks. But in the polls, he remains close to his opponents.

This Sunday, on the set of a Brazilian TV channel, he mentions a complaint for sexual harassment dating from 2019 that targeted José Luiz Datena. It should be noted that the latter was eventually abandoned. But this remark was enough to trigger the rage of his rival, who then grabbed a chair and hit him with it.

The 37-year-old politician did not hesitate to share this event on his social networks, even staging his transport to the hospital. The latter also compared what happened to him to the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

While he is fine, his opponent, José Luiz Datena, said he lost his cool and regrets his gesture. The campaign for the municipal elections in São Paulo continues, it remains to be seen whether the televised attack will have an impact on the vote.