RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 12 — Nearly one in five Brazilians said they approve of Sunday’s capital rampage carried out by backers of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, according to results of a poll released Wednesday by Atlas Intelligence.

To the question: "Do you agree with the actions of Bolsonaro protesters” who stormed Congress, the presidency and supreme court in Brasilia Sunday, 18.4 per cent of 2,200 respondents said "yes.”

Nearly 76 per cent disagreed with the actions, and 5.8 per cent had no opinion.

Fifty-three per cent of respondents said the invasions were "totally unjustified,” while 27.5 per cent said they were "partly justified” and 10.5 per cent "completely justified.”

Just over half said Bolsonaro was responsible for the acts that shocked many in Brazil, according to the poll conducted by the Sao Paulo-based data company over two days after the riots.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.

On Sunday, several thousand so-called "bolsonaristas” demanding the ouster of democratically elected leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva forced their way into the three buildings, causing massive property damage. — AFP