PSP prepared for different scenarios of Saturday’s far-right demonstration

On Thursday, the PSP said it was “planning a police operation that can be adapted to different possible scenarios” regarding Saturday’s demonstration in Lisbon promoted by the far right, whose ban on the municipality was challenged by prosecutors pending a court decision.

In a published statement, the Public Security Police (PSP) recalls that the Lisbon City Council (CML) did not authorize the demonstration organized by Group 1143, the far-right movement whose representative is the neo-Nazi militant Mario Machado. The municipality made the decision following a risk analysis carried out by the PSP, which realized that the safety conditions were not met for the event to take place in the Muraria area.

“In our opinion, the KML decided not to allow the demonstration under the conditions proposed by the organizer, who, not agreeing with this decision, filed a preventive measure with the Administrative Court. HML and PSP are awaiting a competent court decision. and we are currently planning a police operation that can be adapted to different possible scenarios,” the PSP said in a statement.

The PSP also states that it “continues to gather information and monitor developments regarding the initiative planned for February 3, particularly through open sources” in order to “assess the potential risks associated with this initiative and plan a police operation that best suits the needs “

Organizers of the “Against the Islamization of Europe” protest are asking the courts to protect their right to demonstrate after the Lisbon municipality banned the initiative, according to a protest that Lusa had access to.

Far-right activist Mario Machado submitted a “summons for the protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees” to the Administrative Court of the Lisbon District, demanding that the Lisbon City Council ban on the February 3 demonstration in the Mouraria district be lifted. .

The lawsuit cites media reports with opinions from constitutionalists who say the law guarantees freedom of assembly and that banning demonstrations “would be a violation of another freedom – freedom of expression.”

Mario Machado accuses the CML of allowing counter-demonstrations, referring to anti-racism activists who announced a counter-demonstration that turned into a multicultural festival in Largo do Intendente.

The festival begins at 16:00 in Largo do Intendente, two hours before a protest by the far right who challenge the entry into Portugal of immigrants, especially those from a wide range of cultures and religions.

Faced with a ban on the demonstration, Group 1143 announced in a statement on the organization’s platforms a “protest” with the same motives, which will take place on February 3 at 18:00 in Lisbon, but without specifying a location.

On Wednesday, the CML unanimously decided to reaffirm the city’s commitment to “tolerance, equality, interculturality, the fight against racism and xenophobia”, welcoming the refusal to hold a demonstration “Against the Islamization of Europe”.

At a public meeting, the councilors of Cidadaãos Por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition) proposed a welcoming vote entitled “Lisbon, a city without walls or battlements”, which was signed by the Bloco de Esquerda (BE) and Livre.