“The attack on actor Adérito Lopes deserves the strongest condemnation and a thorough investigation to punish those responsible. It is unacceptable for a play to be canceled due to a neo-fascist group. This results from a lack of clarity in rejecting hate speech,” criticized Livre spokesperson Rui Tavares on the social network ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
Additionally, the Livre parliamentary group today submitted a question to the Government and a motion of condemnation in the Assembly of the Republic following an incident on Tuesday night when an actor from the theater company “A Barraca” was assaulted by a far-right group in Lisbon as he arrived for a performance.
In the motion of condemnation, the six Livre deputies mention that, according to the company’s director, actress Maria do Céu Guerra, around 8:00 PM on Tuesday, “a group of neo-Nazis with posters and pamphlets” containing several xenophobic slogans began provoking the actors and actresses arriving for the show.
After “some provocations,” reads the text, actor Adérito Lopes “was violently assaulted and required hospital treatment,” which resulted in the cancellation of the performance.
The Livre deputies highlighted that Tuesday marked 30 years since the murder of Alcindo Monteiro “by far-right forces” and that for this reason, “this attack should be condemned by all democratic forces and the Assembly of the Republic.”
“Livre expresses its profound repudiation of the racist and xenophobic demonstrations that took place on June 10 and have been occurring with increasing frequency, particularly during cultural events such as book presentations or theater performances,” states the proposed motion.
The party also questioned the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, warning that such incidents are part of “a growing pattern of intimidating and violent actions carried out by far-right groups in Portugal.”
For Livre, the spread of hate speech, violence, and actions that limit citizens’ freedom and radicalization “are unacceptable and contrary to the fundamental values of the Portuguese State, requiring urgent and structured action from the authorities and sovereign bodies.”
In this context, the party wants to know what assessment the Government led by Luís Montenegro makes of the threat to security and the Rule of Law resulting from far-right groups’ activities and the risks associated with their growing impact and organization and what steps it has taken or plans to take regarding the “increasing activity and violence of far-right groups and their impact on citizens’ everyday lives.”
Livre also seeks to know what measures the Government intends to adopt to “prevent the effects of extremist speeches and radicalization processes, particularly among children and young people,” and whether the executive is “prepared, as has been done in other countries, to request the Supreme Court of Justice to classify these groups as fascist organizations.”
