This Thursday, the President of the Republic was criticized by students protesting against fossil fuels at the Escola Secundária de Camões in Lisbon, to whom he handed the microphone and to whom he finally demanded applause.
“I ask for applause to those who spoke because today is April 25th. Under a dictatorship, they would have been arrested, imprisoned, banned from speaking, and the president of the republic would not have asked for applause. applause for them. The difference between democracy and dictatorship,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Souza.
The students demonstrated when the head of state, at the beginning of his speech at this lecture on April 25, 1974, praised Liceu Camões “for the activity of its teachers and students,” including “activism in environmental issues.”
Hearing the protests, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza immediately went to the part of the pavilion where these students were and handed them a microphone so that they could be heard.
Three young people, one after another, spoke into the microphone, declaring that they did not feel represented by this President of the Republic.
Before Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, they believed they were failing in the fight against climate change and in protecting young transgender people, and denounced statements he made to the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic envoy.
One of the young people asked “all those who do not feel represented by this President of the Republic to stand in silent protest,” and about 20 students out of about 800 stood up.
After this, he also invited this group of students to leave the pavilion, which did not happen. Shortly after this, the head of state resumed his speech and asked the speakers to applaud.