Mayoral Debate Goes Off the Rails When Candidate Violently Attacks Rival Onstage

Sometimes, political debates are just plain boring. Lots of babble and toothless sound bites.

Then, there is the recent mayoral debate in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Six candidates are running for mayor, and, on Sunday, they took to TV for a debate that went off the rails when candidate Pablo Marçal brought up a sexual harassment complaint against José Luiz Datena, which was later dismissed, according to CNN.

Marçal then dared Datena to slap him.

“You’re not even man enough to do this,” Marçal said, according to Reuters.

Spoiler alert: He was.

As shown on video of the incident, Datena stalked to the podium where Marçal stood with a lifted chair and smacked Marcal on the side before the debate cut to a commercial.

Datenea said he was justified in whacking his rival.

“He came with a case that was archived, that was not even investigated by the police because there was no evidence. Something from 11 years ago that caused a very serious situation within my family,” Datena said, according to CNN.

Marçal’s campaign said it might sue, Reuters reported.

“Pablo Marçal was cowardly attacked by José Luiz Datena, who hit him in the ribs with an iron chair,” the campaign said.

Marçal suffered trauma to his chest and wrist, but was released from a hospital later Sunday.

Sunday’s debate continued without Marçal and Datena as Guilherme Boulos, Marina Helena, Ricardo Nunes and Tabata Amaral continued the show.

Nunes and Boulos each top the polls with Marçal in third, according to Reuters.

Marçal, a conservative, has risen in the polls due to his rhetorical style and his background as an influencer, according to The Associated Press.

On Monday, Datena said he had no regrets.

“If the circumstances were the same, I would not refrain from repeating the gesture, an extreme response to a history of aggression perpetrated against me and many others by my adversary,” his statement said.

Marçal’s campaign team, meanwhile, complained that the debate went on while he was taken to the hospital.

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