Hundreds braved the rain in Lisbon and Porto today to demonstrate against the war being waged in the Middle East.
In an initiative organised by the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation, a number of unions, federations and left-wing political parties took part – as well as ordinary citizens appalled at what has been happening over the last two weeks.
The central message was ‘Peace not War’ – but chants and banners decried the “threats and aggressions of the United States of America and Israel”, both of whom launched the military operation against Iran that has seen Iran retaliate, with the result that a number of other countries, in and beyond the Middle East, are now being impacted.
As the caravan of protesters walked under umbrellas from the Cidade Universitária, past the U.S. embassy and on to Sete Rios in Lisbon, slogans aired included: “With more weapons we only go backwards…”
Ironically, the protest came on the same day that U.S. president Donald Trump is calling on European countries to send battleships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz (from Iran’s attacks on any oil tankers trying to sail through it) – something that will cause even greater divisions among political leaders who have been seeking to distance themselves from the U.S./ Israeli aggression, stressing ‘it is not the way’…
Indeed, protesters alluded to much else ‘not being the way’, as well: the United States’ approach in Venezuela; its blockade of Cuba; its anathema to the independence of Palestine.
All told, in both cities, almost 70 organisations took part in today’s demonstrations – not one uttering a positive word about this country’s government’s stance, which has been one of tacit acceptance and the habitual Portuguese ‘whistling in the other direction’.
Source: SIC Notícias
