This Tuesday, Joana Mortágua, a leader of the Left Bloc, commemorated the 30th anniversary of Alcindo Monteiro’s death by emphasizing that Portugal’s history includes the “anti-racist struggle” and the “victims of racist hate.” She underscored the necessity of erecting a “wall of decency” against extremism.
“Alcindo Monteiro was killed, murdered by racist violence; he was the victim of a hate crime,” Joana Mortágua remarked to journalists during an anti-racist protest in Lisbon.
She further noted, “That is why it’s important to remember that Portugal’s history also includes the anti-racist struggle and the victims of racist hate,” alluding to the celebration of Portugal Day.
The Left Bloc representative highlighted that “at a time when fundamentalism and extremism are growing,” it’s crucial to recall that “the extremist rhetoric against others is never just mere words.”
“They aren’t just discourse; they legitimize acts, acts like the one that killed Alcindo Monteiro,” she emphasized, advocating for “a wall of decency against racism, against extremism, and against violence.”
“A wall to signal that violence does not progress,” concluded the former deputy.
The murder of Alcindo Monteiro, a Cape Verdean Portuguese man, occurred on the night of June 10 to 11, 1995, in the Bairro Alto area, following a violent assault by a group of around 50 skinheads. Several people were attacked, with 11 individuals later tried and convicted for homicide, six for assaults, and two acquitted.
Alcindo Monteiro was 27 years old when he was murdered.
