September 17th 2024.
A heated debate between mayoral candidates in São Paulo, Brazil took a shocking turn when one of the candidates resorted to violence. The incident, which was captured on live TV by TV Cultura, showed José Luiz Datena and Pablo Marçal engaged in a tense exchange before Datena violently swung a chair at his opponent.
After the altercation, Datena explained to TV Cultura that he had attacked Marçal due to old sexual harassment allegations that had been dismissed years ago. He expressed frustration that these allegations, which had never been investigated by the police due to lack of evidence, were brought up during the debate. Datena also revealed the toll that these accusations had taken on his family, stating that they had caused a serious strain within his household.
Although Datena was expelled from the debate as a result of his actions, he stood by his decision and stated that he did not regret it. Meanwhile, Marçal was treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained during the attack, including trauma to his chest and wrist. His team later announced that he had been released from the hospital and was recovering from a possible fracture and difficulty breathing.
Marçal compared the chair attack to previous violent incidents against high-profile political figures, such as the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and the stabbing of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during the 2018 election. He shared an image on Instagram with the caption, "Why all this hate?".
Despite the shocking incident, the remaining candidates – Guilherme Boulos, Marina Helena, Ricardo Nunes, and Tabata Amaral – continued with the debate. TV Cultura, who broadcasted the event, expressed regret for the altercation but continued the discussion after the other candidates agreed to do so.
Marçal's team has announced that they will be taking legal action against Datena for the "cowardly attack" and expressed disappointment that the debate continued without Marçal's presence. CNN has reached out to São Paulo police as well as the teams of both candidates involved in the incident for further information.
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