“Tolerance towards the intolerant must have a limit. We cannot continue to have movements or parties that are overtly against human rights and the fundamental principles of our Constitution, attacking not only the LGBTIQA+ community [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, and others], but also women’s rights, and discriminatorily attack based on skin color,” stated the sole deputy of PAN today.
Speaking to Lusa on Avenida dos Aliados, where the 20th LGBTI+ march in Porto began, Inês Sousa Real highlighted “a very difficult fight with regards to the growth of the far-right,” further noting “the substantial funding behind these movements, some of which is of quite dubious and illegal origin.”
The deputy believes that these movements “should be outlawed,” expressing regret over the case of the Ergue-te party, which was dissolved “for not presenting accounts, not because of its xenophobic, extremist, and discriminatory agenda.”
Inês Sousa Real also recalled, in the context of the exclusion of some movements from the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI), that “it is crucial to have the monitoring of these far-right movements reflected in the RASI,” arguing that being under investigation should not lead to their exclusion from the report.
“As a party within the democratic spectrum, we have the responsibility to promote public policies that guide us towards inclusion. It’s necessary to have a national plan that is effectively being implemented with non-discrimination principles to counteract the phenomena of hate,” the PAN leader further stated.
Inês de Sousa Real emphasized that “discriminating or hating someone based on their gender identity, skin color, or sexual orientation is not freedom of expression, it is a crime.”
“For PAN, that line is very clear. We will always stand for respect and equality, and we believe that such conduct needs to be criminalized; it’s a matter of justice and law enforcement, and we cannot concede the war against hate and discrimination,” she stressed.
The deputy concluded by emphasizing that “hate kills, while love, freedom, and the right to be who we are do not.”
The ’20th Porto LGBTI+ Pride March’ between Avenida dos Aliados and Largo Amor de Perdição affected traffic in several streets today for security reasons.
In information published on its official page, the city administration, led by independent Rui Moreira, noted that traffic restrictions would occur between 3:00 PM and 12:00 AM and would be managed by the police.
Under the motto ‘Right to Exist, Duty to Resist,’ the LGBTI+ Pride March travels through Rua Gonçalo Cristóvão, Praça da República, Rua da Boavista, Rua de Cedofeita, Praça de Carlos Alberto, Rua do Carmo, Cordoaria (near the Court), and concludes at Largo Amor de Perdição.
