Politician smashes chair over rival’s head during heated live debate

A Brazilian mayoral candidate hit a political opponent over the head with a chair during a heated debate live on television on Sunday, 15 September.

Jose Luiz Datena, a news anchor running to be mayor of Sao Paulo, attacked Instagram influencer and rival Pablo Marcal with the piece of furniture from close range.

Marcal’s aides told Brazilian media he had a fractured rib, and emergency officials said one of his fingers were dislocated.

In a statement on Instagram, Datena wrote: “I was wrong, but I do not regret it in any way. I would have sincerely preferred that the episode had not happened. However, if the circumstances were the same, I would not have failed to repeat the gesture, an extreme response to a history of aggressions perpetrated against me and many others by my opponent.”