SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil (AP) — Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was taken into police custody Saturday after a tense showdown with his own supporters, capping an intense three days that underscored raw emotions over the incarceration of a once wildly popular leader who has been engulfed by corruption allegations. When he first tried to leave the metal workers union headquarters where he was holed up to turn himself in, dozens of supporters blocked a gate where a car carrying da Silva was trying to exit. Judge Sergio Moro, who oversees many of the so-called "Car Wash" cases, then ordered an arrest warrant for da Silva, giving him until 5 p.m. Friday to present himself to police in Curitiba, about 260 miles (417 kilometers) southwest of Sao Bernardo do Campo, and begin serving his 12-year sentence. A Catholic Mass was due to take place at the union building early Saturday in memory of Lula's late wife Marisa Leticia, who died last year and would now be turning 68, Workers' Party officials said. After the speech, Lula was lifted onto the shoulders of supporters who chanted, “I am Lula.”

Last year, Moro convicted da Silva of trading favours with a construction company in exchange for the promise of a beachfront apartment.
Former President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva surrenders to police following a two-day stand-off at a steelworkers' union building in São Bernardo do Campo.