International
São Paulo mayoral debate turns violent as candidate attacks opponent with chair
By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)
A televised mayoral debate took a violent turn in São Paulo, as news anchor and mayoral candidate Jose Luiz Datena shocked viewers by attacking his opponent with a chair. The incident left Pablo Marçal with a fractured rib and a dislocated finger.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 54%
Center 23%
Right 23%
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
65 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
65
Leaning Left
7
Center
3
Leaning Right
3
Last Updated
6 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
He was taken to the hospital after complaining of difficulty breathing. The moment has thrown the race to govern Brazil’s largest city into turmoil.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Marçal had been polling in third place in the race, behind incumbent Mayor Ricardo Nunes and a leftist candidate, Guilherme Boulos. Leading up to the debate, Marçal said he planned to “destabilize” Datena, who was trailing with just 6% of the vote.
During the debate, Marçal repeatedly brought up sexual harassment allegations against Datena. Although the allegations were later retracted, the topic struck a nerve with the man.
Datena claimed his opponent, an Instagram influencer, was turning the debate into a spectacle, calling it another one of Marçal’s internet stunts. But tensions boiled when Datena picked up a chair and slammed it into Marçal’s back.
Marçal later compared the attack to assassination attempts on Donald Trump, asking on Instagram, “Why is there so much hate?”
Marçal’s rise in the polls has largely been driven by his use of social media, where he has more than 13 million followers. São Paulo’s mayoral election is set for early October.
Jack Aylmer
A TELEVISED MAYORAL DEBATE TOOK A VIOLENT TURN IN SAO PAULO.
NEWS ANCHOR AND MAYORAL CANDIDATE JOSE LUIZ DATENA SHOCKING VIEWERS WHEN HE ATTACKED HIS OPPONENT WITH A CHAIR.
THE INCIDENT LEFT PABLO MARCAL WITH A FRACTURED RIB AND DISLOCATED FINGER.
HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER COMPLAINING OF DIFFICULTY BREATHING.
THIS DRAMATIC MOMENT HAS THROWN THE RACE TO GOVERN BRAZIL’S LARGEST CITY INTO TURMOIL.
MARCAL HAD BEEN POLLING THIRD IN THE RACE BEHIND INCUMBENT MAYOR RICARDO NUNES AND A LEFTIST CANDIDATE.
LEADING UP TO THE DEBATE, MARCAL SAID HE PLANNED TO “DESTABILIZE” DATENA, WHO WAS TRAILING WITH JUST 6-PERCENT OF THE VOTE.
DURING THE DEBATE, MARCAL REPEATDLEY BROUGHT UP SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DATENA,
ALTHOUGH THE ALLEGATIONS WERE LATER RETRACTED, THE TOPIC STRUCK A NERVE WITH DETANA.
DATENA CLAIMED HIS OPPONENT, AN INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER, WAS TURNING THE DEBATE INTO A SPECTACLE, CALLING IT ANOTHER ONE OF MARCAL’S INTERNET STUNTS.
BUT TENSIONS BOILED WHEN DATENA PICKED UP A CHAIR AND SLAMMED IT INTO MARCAL’S BACK.
MARCAL LATER COMPARED THE ATTACK TO ASSAINATION ATTEMPTS ON DONALD TRUMP ASKING ON INSTAGRAM, “WHY IS THERE SO MUCH HATE?”
MARCAL’S RISE IN THE POLLS HAS LARGELY BEEN DRIVEN BY HIS USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE HE HAS MORE THAN 13-MILLION FOLLOWERS.
SAO PAULO’S MAYORAL ELECTION IS SET FOR EARLY OCTOBER
WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATE AS THE SITUATION DEVELOPS, I’M FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 54%
Center 23%
Right 23%
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
65 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
65
Leaning Left
7
Center
3
Leaning Right
3
Last Updated
6 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
MOST POPULAR
-
Getty Images
Starbucks slashes 1,100 corporate jobs, tells execs to be in office 3 days
ReadFeb 24 -
Getty Images
World marks 3 years of war in Ukraine; US pushes draft UN resolution
Watch 8:39Feb 24 -
City of San Diego
San Diego may charge for trash collection for first time since 1919
Watch 2:17Feb 20 -
Getty Images
CBS’ Margaret Brennan links Holocaust to free speech: Bias Breakdown
Watch 9:05Feb 18
