An inquiry is underway into an incident allegedly occurring overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, involving four youths entering the campaign headquarters of a coalition in Carregado and dispersing chemical powder, causing smoke, over those present, a source from the National Republican Guard (GNR) confirmed to the Lusa agency.
It was later discovered that the substance was from fire extinguishers.
The GNR stated that the act might constitute a crime of damage and attempted bodily harm.
“Unknown individuals took advantage of an open door, stormed the space, and discharged two fire extinguishers with chemical powder in the room where our members were present. This action endangered everyone’s physical integrity, compounded by the fact that there was only one exit door — which, fortunately, was open — allowing escape to the garden,” reported the coalition on its Facebook page.
Eight coalition members were at the premises, undertaking arrangements and improvements at the site.
“We consider this situation extremely serious, an attack on political freedom and the democratic principles that should govern our civic coexistence,” responded the coalition led by Francisco Guerra, “repudiating this type of violence” and “intimidation.”
In a statement, the Alenquer local committee and the Oeste district board of the PSD expressed “their vehement repudiation and profound regret for the act of vandalism and aggression,” an action that “could have caused serious harm to the health of those involved.”
For the social democrats, “these acts do not intimidate, do not restrain, and do not shake the firm commitment to a project of change and transformation that the candidacy led by Francisco Guerra represents.”
The candidates in the race for the presidency of the Alenquer City Council in the Lisbon district are João Nicolau (PS), Ernesto Ferreira (CDU), Francisco Guerra (PSD/CDS-PP/IL/PPM/MPT/Nós, Cidadãos!), Carlos Sequeira (Chega), and Tiago Pedro (independent).
In the previous local elections, the PS won with an absolute majority, electing five members to the municipal executive, while the PSD and CDU (PCP/PEV) elected one each.
