Parliament Fight Club: When Lawmakers Attack

Punches are thrown and guns are fired in these incidents.

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Parliament Fight Club: When Lawmakers Attack - As democratic as parliament sessions appear, many countries worldwide have experienced so much legislative violence during these meetings that these clashes have become periodic and predictable. Controversial issues and divisive elections have driven many of these politicians to punch-ups, while a simple taunting has also been known to end in black eyes and hospital visits. Keep reading to learn about the honorary members of parliament fight club. — Patrice Peck(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Nigeria - A chaotic scene developed at Nigeria’s House of Representatives in September 2013 when politicians from a splinter group from the ruling party tried to address the lawmakers, only to be met with taunting shouts from lawmakers loyal to President Jonathan Goodluck, according to BBC. The legislators then proceeded to batter each other, tearing shirts and hoisting chairs, at a parliament session.(Photo: REUTERS/STR/Landov)

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Nigeria - A chaotic scene developed at Nigeria’s House of Representatives in September 2013 when politicians from a splinter group from the ruling party tried to address the lawmakers, only to be met with taunting shouts from lawmakers loyal to President Jonathan Goodluck, according to BBC. The legislators then proceeded to batter each other, tearing shirts and hoisting chairs, at a parliament session.(Photo: REUTERS/STR/Landov)

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Taiwan - A recurring member of the parliament fight club, Taiwan’s lawmakers are notorious for their mass brawls. A controversial plan to build a fourth nuclear plant on the island sparked a fight in August 2013, during which the politicians threw water and wrestled each other to the floor. (Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

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Taiwan...Again - A June 2013 fight disrupted the peaceful progress that Taiwan’s aggressive parliament had seemingly made over the past few years. Fists and coffee were flung that summer over a debate on whether to revise a contentious capital gains tax on fair trading.(Photo: SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images

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Turkey - Another rule of parliamentary fight club seems to be: If you interrupt a lawmaker’s speech, expect a possible brawl to ensue. Tension gathered at a parliamentary session in Turkey in July 2013 when members of the country’s political opposition continued to hurl questions at a Deputy Prime Minister as he delivered a speech on a bill. The ruling party proceeded to beat up the interjecting lawmaker, he even had his eyebrow ripped open, according to Hurriyetdailynews.vom(Photo: ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Venezuela - Leave it to a presidential election to get a politician’s blood boiling. In April 2013, a session of the National Assembly was interrupted when supporters of President Nicolas Maduro apparently beat up members of Venezuela’s political opposition. A politician present at the brawl reportedly captured the clash on his cell phone.(Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

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Venezuela - Leave it to a presidential election to get a politician’s blood boiling. In April 2013, a session of the National Assembly was interrupted when supporters of President Nicolas Maduro apparently beat up members of Venezuela’s political opposition. A politician present at the brawl reportedly captured the clash on his cell phone.(Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

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Ukraine - Parliament fight clubs are nothing new in Ukraine, where name-calling (referring to each other as neo-fascists), booing and other juvenile indiscretions have led to their fair share of skirmishes and even one-on-one combat, as seen in 2013 and 2011.(Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images)

Jordan - Apparently defending the honor of Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour after Prime Minister Zeid al-Shawabkeh accused the leader of corruption, fellow lawmaker Shadi al-Adwan came to blows with the accuser during a parliament session in March 2013. As the room’s video cameras showed, Adwan reached behind his back as if to draw a gun before other lawmakers interfered. However, in September 2013, gun shots were actually fired in session.(Photo: MUHAMMAD HAMED/LANDOV)

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Jordan - Apparently defending the honor of Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour after Prime Minister Zeid al-Shawabkeh accused the leader of corruption, fellow lawmaker Shadi al-Adwan came to blows with the accuser during a parliament session in March 2013. As the room’s video cameras showed, Adwan reached behind his back as if to draw a gun before other lawmakers interfered. However, in September 2013, gun shots were actually fired in session.(Photo: MUHAMMAD HAMED/LANDOV)

Somalia - A brutal fight erupted among Somalia’s parliament in January 2012 as the legislators clashed over the election of a new speaker. While it was not the first fight to occur in the parliament, it was the most violent to date. Prime ministers stabbed each other with pens and struck one another with chairs, resulting in at least three hospitalizations. This clash reflects the unstable state of Somalia’s fragmented government.(Photo: AP Photo)

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Somalia - A brutal fight erupted among Somalia’s parliament in January 2012 as the legislators clashed over the election of a new speaker. While it was not the first fight to occur in the parliament, it was the most violent to date. Prime ministers stabbed each other with pens and struck one another with chairs, resulting in at least three hospitalizations. This clash reflects the unstable state of Somalia’s fragmented government.(Photo: AP Photo)

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Italy - Speaking ill of a fellow legislator’s significant other is yet another no-no in parliament, especially one with as volatile a history as Italy. Most recently, legislators engaged in a fist-fight in October 2011 after an opposition leader made a comment about another party leader’s wife on television. For a more extensive look at parliament fights, check out this devoted blog.(Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)