The trial, initially set for today, will now take place on December 16 in the afternoon and throughout the day on December 18, as revealed by lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes, who crafted the special personality protection action.
In this special protection action, witnesses from both sides—the leader of Chega and the six individuals requesting the removal of the billboards—will be heard. By the end of the day, André Ventura will learn whether he must take down the posters targeting the Roma community.
The session was postponed at the request of André Ventura, due to the State Budget vote for 2026 happening today in parliament, where the Chega leader was present.
The action also seeks to impose a daily fine of five thousand euros on André Ventura for any delays or for each new poster with similar content that might be displayed.
The posters placed by Chega in various locations, including Moita, Montijo, and Palmela, feature a statement next to André Ventura’s photograph, styled as a presidential candidate: “The Gypsies must obey the law.”
The plaintiffs argue that the billboards convey the message that “Gypsies do not obey the law,” which “stigmatizes and humiliates the entire Roma community.”
“They feel powerless to stop the wave of xenophobia and disdain towards the Roma community that the billboards generate in Portuguese society,” further reads the action, which, if accepted by the court, does not require a public prosecutor’s involvement.
The message on the billboards “offends the moral integrity and the right to dignity” of those targeted, assert the authors of the action, adding that “André Ventura cannot hide behind freedom of expression.”
