Caryl Hallberg, 73, a member of the Democratic Party, has chosen Portugal as her home after spending four years traveling through various European countries.
“It’s a special place. During a dinner, some friends told me the story of the Carnation Revolution, and I thought, ‘this is where I want to live,'” she told the Lusa news agency. Caryl is one of the organizers of a demonstration.
Although distanced from the party, Caryl has remained active in activism and joined to support former President Barack Obama’s candidacy for the White House.
She believes it is also possible to combat Donald Trump’s policies from abroad, alongside Americans who feel outraged by the current American drift.
“We know what fascism is, and that’s what’s happening,” she expressed, voicing her concerns about pension cuts, which she stated have already affected some Americans residing in Portugal.
In Caryl’s view, Trump is also “destroying commerce” with the implementation of tariffs, causing a devaluation of the dollar, which she notices whenever she exchanges dollars for euros.
“[Trump] is trying to take away rights at various levels,” she added.
Under the banner “Hands Off,” multiple signs were displayed urging the administration of the American President to “take hands off” the Constitution and American civil rights. “The list is so long!” exclaimed the activist.
Caryl assured that Americans would continue to demonstrate peacefully: “We follow the Portuguese example.”
Jaiy Conboy, 72, participated in the demonstration with a guitar and a song he created for the occasion titled “I Will Not Be Silent.”
“I am outraged by what [Trump] is doing to the world economy, for making friends with enemies like Putin, for how he is ignoring the Constitution,” said the academic, who has spent “almost his whole life” working with Portuguese universities and is married to a Portuguese woman.
“He is causing so much chaos! And chaos is his goal. It’s all about power,” he declared with indignation.
Sitting by the statue of D. José I at Praça do Comércio, Jail Kent, 73, held a banner with a photo of businessman Elon Musk, another focus of the protest, that read, “My father fought the Nazis in Europe, 80 years ago.”
“In World War II, my father and uncles fought Germany. They were Republicans, but I don’t believe they would support this man,” she commented.
“These people are fascists. It’s horrible, they are taking away our rights,” said the former journalist from Virginia, who now lives in Alcobaça.
According to the organizers, the demonstration gathered around 700 people, who carried banners, some adorned with carnations, references to the revolution, and freedom of expression, conveying messages to Americans: “What America needs, Portugal knows.”
