Carnations offered to immigrants “in solidarity”
The heavy-handed police operation in Martim Moniz that has inflamed opposition politicians saw ‘reaction’ today, in Lisbon, in the form of a civic action, offering ‘carnations in solidarity’ to immigrants.
In the words of Lusa, “more than one hundred people walked along Rua do Benformoso in Martim Moniz today, remembering the values of April (25 – the date of the revolution in 1974) in solidarity with the immigrant population living in the area”.
“Handing out carnations in different colours, people from various parts of society, including representatives of the PS, BE, PCP and Livre, explained the significance of these flowers for Portuguese democracy
“Residents and shopkeepers in the area welcomed the gesture with joy and emphasised the friendliness and welcome of the Portuguese population in general. Many immigrants live and work in the area, mainly from the Asian subcontinent”.
Lusa adds that the “police action – which involved putting dozens of people against the wall with their hands in the air to be searched – was denounced by images shared on social media, which generated several criticisms and accusations of abuse of power”.
In many ways this was a PR disaster for the government, in that every single act or pronouncement that could be ‘inflated’ by the opposition will be, mercilessly, until September next year when all parties hope to make gains (or hold on to what they already have) in the municipal elections (which although not ‘legislative’, can influence the way the country goes forwards). The minority PSD-led government will be seeking to consolidate its perceived popularity – and this incident may not have done that. In fact, critics see it as a form of ‘capitulation’ to CHEGA and its message of antipathy towards ‘non-Portuguese’, which may not have the desired results.
Writing in Correia da Manhã today, deputy director Alfredo Leite said that the appearance of the prime minister on television “right after the PSP onslaught, arguing that these actions increase the population’s sense of security, indicates a dangerous and unacceptable perception of police instrumentalisation”.
PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos has gone even further: “We have in Portugal right now the most extremist government that we have had in the last decades of our democracy”.
This high-profile ‘operation’ – in which only two Portuguese citizens were arrested – appears to have been a gift to those who seize on anything they can to criticise the government.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
