Physical altercations and the throwing of objects, including glass bottles, were reported at 17:00 between opposing groups.
These confrontations once again required police intervention to disperse the ensuing turmoil, resulting in incidents of violence with injured individuals.
Chants of “Salvação” were heard from the Habeas Corpus and 1143 movements and the Ergue-te party, while the opposite side responded with “April 25th always, fascism never again.”
Earlier, the police had detained two individuals, including Rui Fonseca e Castro, the leader of the Ergue-te party.
Mário Machado has faced multiple convictions.
In early April, the Constitutional Court refused to consider the appeal of a case in which Mário Machado was sentenced to two years and 10 months of actual imprisonment for inciting the “forced prostitution” of women from left-wing parties on Twitter (now X) in 2022.
After the clashes that led to Mário Machado’s arrest, about 50 PSP officers formed a safety cordon, separating the opposing groups. Supporters of the far-right movements stayed near Largo de São Domingos, while the anti-fascist demonstrators, including those from the parade on Avenida da Liberdade, positioned themselves on the side of Praça do Rossio.
José Pinto Coelho, the former president of the PNR – Partido Nacional Renovador, now known as Ergue-te, was also present at the far-right movements’ action.
Advocating for the “Lusitanian soul,” far-right supporters claimed, in reference to the increasing immigration, “If we don’t unite, Portugal will disappear.”
These demonstrators also complained about the police intervention, alleging they were attacked “without justification” and showing marks on their bodies as evidence of the impact from police batons.
They further contested being “expelled” from Praça do Martim Moniz, where they had planned to hold their action and where an anti-fascist concentration occurred, to Largo de São Domingos, dismissing the lack of authorization from the PSP and the Lisbon City Council, claiming it was a “nationalist gathering.”
By 17:30, the police cordon had been dismantled, but numerous police officers remained at the scene.
The Ergue-te party and the Habeas Corpus movement, supported by the far-right group 1143, had announced a demonstration with a “pig on a spit” at Martim Moniz, starting at 15:00 this Friday, the April 25th holiday – the Carnation Revolution.
[Updated at 17:47]
