A mayoral debate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, turned violent on September 15, as a candidate responded to taunts by picking up a chair and striking one of his opponents with it.This footage,
livestreamed by news outlet TV Cultura, shows Jose Luiz Datena, a TV presenter and candidate for the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), attacking his opponent Pablo Marcal, a far-right influencer representing the Brazilian Labor Renewal Party (PRTB).The attack occurred after Marcal questioned Datena about a
past sexual-harassment complaint, asking when he would stop “clowning around” and withdraw his candidacy, and suggesting he wasn’t “man enough” to act on prior threats of violence,
local news reported.Marcal was taken to a hospital with a fractured rib, according to his team,
local news said. The candidate posted multiple videos on his Instagram profile - see
here and
here - from what appeared to be a hospital room.Datena
wrote in a statement: “The accusations that Marcal made against me in front of millions of people are serious. And absolutely false. I made a mistake, but I in no way regret it.”Additional footage
released on September 16 by TV Cultura shows Datena attempting to grab another chair after the initial attack. Credit: TV Cultura via Storyful