As he arrived for a local election campaign event in Matosinhos, Porto, José Luís Carneiro was asked by journalists about the protest the previous day in Lisbon and a challenge from the president of IL to distance himself from what were described as pro-Palestinian “acts of vandalism.”
“I believe you are mistaken because the current political relevance is what we are here to celebrate, the current political relevance is the local elections. The political highlight will occur in eight days,” he replied.
On Sunday’s elections, he stated, the Portuguese people “will be choosing those they want as their legitimate representatives to actualize April, to fulfill the Republic and to realize a project and ambition for development.”
When asked about the stance of former parliament president Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, who on Saturday described the silence of the current president of the Assembly of the Republic regarding Portuguese activists detained in Israel as “incomprehensible,” Carneiro simply responded that he had not had the “opportunity to read that message.”
The president of Iniciativa Liberal (IL) challenged the leader of PS today to distance himself from what she described as pro-Palestinian “acts of vandalism,” promoted by “left-wing radicals,” which resulted in injuries to a young man in Lisbon.
On Saturday, some of the demonstrators advocating for the release of the four Portuguese citizens involved in the humanitarian flotilla Global Sumud entered the CP Rossio station, and one was electrocuted attempting to climb the top of a train.
Socialist Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues deemed today “incomprehensible” the silence of the current parliament president concerning the Portuguese activists detained in Israel and “irresponsible” the Defense Minister’s accusation that these are terrorist supporters.
“It is incomprehensible the silence of the current President of the Assembly of the Republic (PAR) regarding the situation of national citizens, including an elected deputy by the Portuguese,” Ferro Rodrigues stated in a declaration sent to Lusa agency.
