An unexpected turn of events marked the debate for the mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, when Jose Luiz Datena, of the Democratic Socialist Party (PSDB), physically attacked his opponent, Pablo Marçal, of the Labor Renewal Party (PRTB), throwing a chair at his head. The incident was not only captured live on television but also quickly went viral on social media, sparking a flood of reactions from the public.
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The confrontation began during a question-and-answer session. Datena, who is also a well-known 67-year-old journalist and presenter, accused Marçal of having “subverted the debates, turning them into mere internet shows of his own.”
Marçal responded during his turn to reply, invoking a controversial accusation of sexual abuse that weighed on Datena in 2019. Quoting the Racionais MC’s, he said: “The playboys of the city of São Paulo don’t know what I’m going to say now, but those from the slums do know: ‘Man is man, woman is woman, rapist is different.’”
Tensions escalated when Marçal challenged the other candidate to publicly apologize: “Here is someone who is a ‘jack’ (rapist). He is someone who is accused of sexual harassment. That person is shameful,” he declared, playing on Datena’s surname. “I want you to apologize to women.” […] “Did you touch her vagina? How was that sexual harassment thing?”
Datena tried to downplay the situation, explaining that the accusation had been dismissed due to lack of evidence and that the complainant had retracted her statement, apologising to him and his family: “It was a great strain on my family. Being accused of such a crime is terrible,” defended Datena, who then counterattacked by calling Marçal “a bank robber, duly accused and convicted.”
In response, Marçal insisted that Datena was “just a liar, a communist.”
Pablo Marçal will be the favorite, he will jump in the 1st turn. Dapena don’t have emotional control, that dinner was worse than that face breaking at the table with a machado. pic.twitter.com/ezGsNB5igU
— Libertário Jr🐦🔥 (@libertariojr) September 16, 2024
The climax of the debate came when Datena, unable to contain his frustration, grabbed a nearby chair and hit Marçal in the head. The impact was so surprising that the television channel immediately cut to commercials.
Following the incident, local media reported statements by Bruna Drews, the journalist who accused Datena of sexual abuse in 2019. Although she initially retracted her accusation, the woman later stated that she was induced to do so by Datena’s lawyers, and that she had actually received inappropriate comments from the presenter.
Pablo Marçal is currently recovering at the Sirio Libanes Hospital, where tests confirmed a fracture in his right sixth costal arch, as noted by a team doctor: “The sixth costal arch here on the right had a small fracture line, so you probably felt pain when I went to examine you.”
Pablo Marçal is fratured at the hospital and will be transferred to the hospital in the early hours of the morning for observation
Candidate for the Prefecture of São Paulo was medicated and passed exams at the Sirio Libanês Hospital. Marçal was attacked by Datena during a debate on TV Cultura.In a video published on social networks,… pic.twitter.com/aIgyHcxQa9
— Brazil Press (@brazilpress) September 16, 2024
Who is Pablo Marçal?
Pablo Marçal, 37, is running for mayor of Brazil’s largest metropolis for the first time, ranking third in the latest polls. Marçal has captured the attention of the electorate with a discourse that distances itself from traditional politics, positioning himself close to the electoral base that once supported Jair Bolsonaro.
Marçal has 13 million followers on Instagram, where he calls himself a “servant of the people” and proclaims himself the “next mayor” of São Paulo. This popularity places him only behind President Lula and former President Bolsonaro in terms of followers among Brazilian politicians on the platform. His approach on social media is so provocative and direct that he has been compared to the style of Javier Milei, known for his own controversial methods and anti-leftist speeches.
This approach has proven effective, as according to a report by researchers at the University of São Paulo, nine of the ten posts with the most interactions among mayoral candidates last month were from Marçal.
The Nation (Argentina) / GDA
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*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from La Nación (GDA), and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
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