The Portuguese Bar Association (OA) argued today that Saturday’s demonstration in Porto against immigration, organized by the extreme right, should be banned and “could lead” to the commission of a crime of incitement to hatred and violence.
In a statement, the OA’s Human Rights Commission points out that, “whenever any public demonstration calls into question the principle of equality, a pillar of the democratic rule of law, based on the dignity of the human person, it must be restricted, i.e. banned”.
According to the OA’s Human Rights Commission, the “Less Immigration, More Housing” demonstration, organized by the 1143 group and authorized by the PSP, “could lead to the commission of a typical crime, discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence”.
“A democratic, inclusive and modern state governed by the rule of law cannot tolerate manifestations of xenophobia, of devaluation of what is different, in expressions of stupid nationalism that no European state can support anymore,” the statement said, stressing that immigrants “are not responsible for the cost of housing”.
The OA Human Rights Commission’s note adds that “regardless of who calls for such demonstrations, it is human rights that are being offended”.
The streets of downtown Porto will be the scene of two demonstrations on Saturday, one against immigration organized by the far-right, and the other anti-fascist, called by the Habitação Hoje association, which will start an hour and a half apart.
The two demonstrations were approved by the Metropolitan Command of the PSP in Porto, which will monitor both routes.
The 1143 group, which is promoting the demonstration against immigrants and whose spokesman is far-right activist Mário Machado, called on “all patriots to be present” in Porto to show “opposition to the invasion of immigrants, the main reason for the brutal rise in housing prices”.
The Habitação Hoje association, which organized the other demonstration, called for unity “of the working class, Portuguese and immigrants, against fascism, hatred and disinformation”.
