A Brazilian mayoral candidate attacked a political opponent with a chair during a televised debate.
The incident began when Pablo Marcal insulted crime reporter José Luis Datena and brought up sexual harassment allegations against him, The New York Times reported. Reported Monday. (Related story: Suspected Antifa sympathizer pleads guilty to detonating nail bomb at Alabama Attorney General's office)
“You came on stage recently and slapped me,” Marsal said, referring to a previous debate. “You're not manly enough to do that.” Datena appeared to respond by hurling a steel chair at Marsal's back.
Marsal was taken to hospital after the assault, with aides saying he suffered broken ribs and medical personnel said he dislocated a finger, The Independent reported.
The moment Datena raised the chair towards Marsal was captured on video and shared on Instagram, and can be seen Marsal speaking to the camera, suddenly turning around and then Datena charging towards Marsal with the chair raised high in the air.
Marsal uploaded a video to Instagram of himself in hospital recovering from his injuries.
According to the New York Times, Datena acknowledged that he “lost his cool” during the debate and said he “made a mistake, but it's one I've never regretted.”
Both candidates are running for mayor of Sao Paulo, Latin America's largest city.
