Legislative violence around the world

Legislative violence broadly refers to any violent clashes between members of a legislature, often physically, inside the legislative building and triggered by divisive issues and tight votes. Such clashes have occurred in many countries across time, and notable incidents still regularly occur.

Although the sight of brawling politicians is incongruous with a legislature's stately image, its occupants, like in any other workplace, are still prone to stress and anger. The confrontational nature of politics, regardless of their location, and the high stakes involved often add to the simmering tensions.

Burgundie

The Sergeant-at-Arms (Burg: Praeteuer contrelaige, (PC)) of the Citizens Court of the National Assembly (Burg. La Assemblee de Ciutadans de l'Assemblee Nacional, (ACAN)) is tasked with the maintenance of decorum of the "august and patrician body". The literal translation of Praeteuer contrelaige is "defender of order against the behavior of the lay-people". The PC is given broad authority to censor and/or punish Burgoignesc legislators whose behavior is deemed "unbecoming". Punishments are to be conducted by the PC in the public square outside of the parliament building, are to be publicly announced/posted a week in advance of their execution, and are to nationally televised. The PC carries a tipstaff which they use to exact said punishments and is the symbol of their office.

This puritanical approach is born from the early days of the ACAN after the unification of Burgundie. Legislative sessions were raucous affairs and little was achieved. In response to the Red Interregnum (1897-1902), a number of reforms regarding government efficiency and anti-corruption were enacted to mitigate similar events occurring in Burgundie. In 1901, ACAN was designated as an "august and patrician body" and the PC was assigned to enforce decorum. Since 1905 no events of legislative violence have occurred.

Corumm

• 1989 handgun incident - During a vote at the People's Assembly deciding on the new head for the body's finance oversight committee, an assemblyman named Lee Jong Jong from the ruling NRF pulled out a handgun and threatened to verbatim: 'kill any son of a bitch from the opposition who voted against the NRF candidate'. When it became clear that Jong Jong's gun had no actual bullets in it, he was mobbed by PCD legislators and severely beaten with chairs before security intervened. Lee Jong Jong would be abducted in 1995 by masked men and never seen again.