Right-Wing Brazilian Journalist Physically Attacks Reporter Glenn Greenwald During Live Broadcast

Intercept founder Glenn Greenwald was attacked by a right-wing Brazilian journalist during a live broadcast on Thursday.

Greenwald, who has reported on potentially criminal actions by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro, called journalist Augusto Nunes, a Bolsonaro defender, a “coward” during the radio segment. Nunes accused Greenwald and his husband of not taking proper care of their two adopted Brazilian children.

“Who’s going to take care of the kids?” Nunes asked.

“Coward!” Greenwald replied. “You are a coward!”

Nunes then repeatedly hits and tries to hit Greenwald in the face. Greenwald tries to block his swings before attempting a swing of his own.

Greenwald’s reporting has drawn right-wing anger:

Greenwald, who lives in Brazil, has reported on the corruption within the government, causing angry responses from the country’s leaders.

“The stories, drawing from a trove of leaked correspondence, cast doubt on the impartiality of the sprawling corruption investigation here known as Lava Jato, or Operation Car Wash,” The Washington Post reported. “One of the main targets of the leaks was Brazil’s Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, the judge who oversaw the bulk of the probe. The Intercept alleged that Moro had improperly counseled prosecutors on how to try their corruption case against Brazil’s former leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Moro sentenced Lula to nine years in prison, clearing Bolsonaro’s main political rival from his path to the presidency. After Bolsonaro won, he appointed Moro as his justice minister.”

Nunes repeatedly attacked Greenwald and his husband:

Nunes, a staunch defender of Bolsonaro, has been accusing Greenwald of being a bad parent for weeks.

“I was thinking about this couple,” he said of Greenwald and his husband, David Miranda last month. “Glenn Greenwald spends the day having hissy fits on Twitter or working as the recipient of stolen messages. David is always in Brasilia. ... Who takes care of the children that they have adopted? This should be investigated by the juvenile court.”

Greenwald told The Washington Post that he told Nunes his comments were “the most disgusting thing I’ve seen in my life.”

He said the attack reflects on what the political situation has become in Brazil.

“This endorsement of violence in our political discourse is fascism,” he said. “If they want him to hit me, why shouldn’t anyone on the right be allowed to hit anyone on the left in the streets?”

“That’s why this is so dangerous,” he added, “because of how polarized Brazil is.”

 

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