A televised mayoral debate in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, turned topsy-turvy when a frustrated candidate struck another with a chair and was removed from the event.
As reported by Reuters, during Sunday’s debate featuring six contenders, TV presenter José Luiz Datena lost his temper after opponent Pablo Marçal, a far-right influencer, taunted him by questioning his courage to follow through on earlier threats of violence.
Datena had threatened to hit Marcal in a prior debate when Marcal raised a 2019 complaint of sexual harassment against Datena by a coworker. The coworker withdrew her complaint, but later said she had been intimidated into silence.
In his rage on Sunday, Datena picked up a chair and brought it crashing down on Marcal’s shoulder. Datena, who is polling in fifth place for the Oct. 6 election, was expelled from the debate. Marcal left to get medical attention for a bruised rib, his spokesperson said.
The remaining candidates continued with the debate after the incident. Pablo Marçal, a political newcomer whose campaign has gained traction due to his provocative debate performances going viral, is currently polling in third place, behind conservative incumbent Ricardo Nunes and leftist challenger Guilherme Boulos.
Nunes and Boulos are neck and neck in the polls, each capturing roughly a quarter of voter support, according to Datafolha. Following the chaotic debate, several pollsters have released new surveys to assess the impact of the events on voter sentiment in the city of 11.5 million.
Political consultancy Eurasia said it did not expect the incident to have an impact on the race, while another said it could help Datena, who was polling around 6%.
“Most voters had no idea he was a candidate and now everyone is talking about him. He could grow in the polls,” said Andre Cesar at Hold Assessoria Legislativa consultancy. “It was good theater, aimed to help a lagging campaign,” he said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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