Telegram Map and Online Messaging Highlight Pre-Riot Mobilization
A map dubbed “Beach Trip” was disseminated to over 18,000 members of a public Telegram channel titled “Hunting and Fishing” in Portuguese. However, instead of sharing tips for outdoor activities, the 43 pins on the map directed users to cities with bus services to Brazil’s capital, promising a large “party” on January 8.
The post explicitly stated, “Children and the elderly aren’t invited,” targeting adults willing to engage in various activities, including simulated police confrontations and indigenous dancing. This message, now removed, was part of a series of subtly coded communications that circulated on social media prior to the violent attack on Brazil’s capital by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who sought to restore him to power.
This situation is now a crucial aspect of an ongoing criminal investigation into the organization of the attack and the apparent failure of officials to recognize the signs of a conspiracy that unfolded openly. Similar to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots, the Brazilian unrest illustrates how social media has simplified the process for anti-democratic groups to gather support and mobilize actions in the physical world.
Rioters even livestreamed their activities on platforms like YouTube, drawing hundreds of thousands of views until a Brazilian judge mandated the removal of such content from social media. Misinformation regarding the election and the riots was prevalent on various platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
Prior to the uprising, Brazil’s social media landscape was saturated with calls to overturn the October election results favoring Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a scenario that authorities seemed to overlook. The online discussions often referred to the planned assembly at Brasilia’s Three Powers Plaza as “Selma’s party,” cleverly playing on the Portuguese term “selva,” a rallying cry historically associated with the military in Brazil.
