Hurl firecrackers and smoke bombs, break through police cordon, demand respect
Furious sapper firefighters from all over the country have converged on Campus XII in Lisbon again today to show the government the strength of feeling within the profession.
Demanding pay increases of €200, railing over 22 years in which they say they have been forgotten, the army of several hundred uniform-clad men let off firecrackers, and stormed through police cordons.
The venue was chosen due to a meeting this morning between the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Telmo Correia, the Secretary of State for Local Administration and Territorial Ornament, Hernâni Dias, and sapper firefighter unions. But such was the tumult, that the meeting has been suspended.
According to reports, “even before 11am, police forces had cut off Avenida João XXI due to the large turnout.
“Hundreds of Sapper Firefighters from all over the country marched from the Alvalade barracks in Lisbon, chanting cries of revolt, carrying placards, smoke bombs, firecrackers and fireworks”, wrote SIC Notícias, adding that demonstrators told its journalists that they have “a lot of confidence in the unions” and hope this time round, the profession will not be forgotten.
As well as pay rises, the professionals are also demanding that the risk supplement be equal to that of the rest of the security forces (something the government has not written into future spending plans).
SIC adds that “if the unions fail to reach an agreement with the government, the (Sappers) promise to continue this fight”.
Source material: SIC Notícias
