São Paulo Mayoral Debate Turns Violent: Candidate Attacks Rival with Chair on Live TV
A mayoral debate in São Paulo took a dramatic turn when candidate José Luiz Datena physically attacked his rival, Pablo Marçal, with a chair during a live broadcast on September 15. The incident occurred on TV Cultura, with Datena swinging the chair at Marçal after a heated exchange.
Datena explained that his actions were in response to Marçal bringing up old sexual harassment allegations against him, which Datena claimed were unfounded and had caused personal distress. Following the attack, Marçal was treated for chest and wrist injuries at Sírio Libanês Hospital but has since been released.
Marçal’s team condemned the attack as cowardly and promised legal action. They likened the incident to previous high-profile attacks on political figures and questioned the pervasive hatred in political discourse.
Despite the altercation, the debate continued with the remaining candidates. TV Cultura expressed regret over the violence but proceeded with the discussion as planned.
