Under the motto: “We don’t want to live in a country of fear,” a rally against racism and violence was organized by various civil society groups, artistic collectives, and associations, including SOS Racism, A Plateia, and Artistas Unidos, with similar initiatives taking place in Coimbra and Porto.
With banners in hand and chants against discrimination, the demonstrators are occupying Largo de Santos, in an atmosphere marked by indignation and solidarity.
Adérito Lopes, an actor with the company A Barraca, was assaulted last Tuesday, Portugal Day, by a far-right group as he prepared to enter the play “Love is fire that burns unseen,” a tribute to Camões with free admission.
In statements to Lusa, the company’s director, actress and director Maria do Céu Guerra, recounted that the assault occurred around 8:00 PM, as the actors arrived at Cinearte, in Largo de Santos.
At the entrance, they encountered “a group of neo-Nazis with banners and leaflets” bearing xenophobic phrases, who initially began provoking one of the actresses.
On Wednesday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Lusa the opening of an investigation into the incidents.
