The General Secretary of the Socialist Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, this Saturday strongly condemned the attacks on immigrants in Porto and accused the far right of inciting hatred by spreading lies.
Speaking to reporters after speaking at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Socialist Youth (YJ), the PS General Secretary was asked about the violence against immigrants that occurred in Porto last night.
“From the very beginning, resolutely, without hesitation, condemn and call for the fight against all forms of violence. This is truly alarming, even frightening, and this is not only happening in Portugal,” he said in the municipality of Almada. , Setubal district.
Pedro Nuno Santos believed that there was a “discourse and atmosphere that fuels hatred, division and resentment” which “later becomes fertile ground for violence” that must be “fighted without hesitation.”
“Portugal is a country that has always respected others, and we must be able to respect others. Portugal is a country of emigration and we must treat those who choose Portugal to live and work in the same way as we demand that our Portuguese be treated abroad,” he defended.
“This is violence, a specific crime that we all must fight, and not only the security forces, but from a discursive point of view, all those who bear political responsibility and citizens,” he emphasized.
In his speech to an audience full of young people, Pedro Nuno Santos said that there are those who “somehow felt comfortable starting to express violence against others” and “there are speeches that bear responsibility, there are politicians that bear responsibility since the discursive point of view.”
The PS general secretary said there was an “environment created by the far right that promotes, facilitates, stimulates and encourages hatred” and “hatred is usually combined with violence.”
Pedro Nuno Santos also noted that “the far right lies in their speech” and emphasized that “the contribution that immigrants and foreign workers make to the social security system is a deeply positive contribution, they are net contributors to the pensions that the Portuguese receive” .
The socialist acknowledged that immigration “creates problems for the country and the Portuguese,” but emphasized the contribution of immigrants also at the economic level.
“The country and the Portuguese economy need foreign workers. There are industries that would stop the next day,” without them, he said, arguing that their contributions “need to be respected, valued and mentioned.”
Six men have been identified and one was detained for possession of illegal weapons following attacks on immigrants in Porto, according to PSP spokesman Sergio Soares, who updated the information to say that a judge had ordered the preventive detention of the detainee.
Early on Friday morning at around 01:00, the PSP was alerted to an attack in Campo 24 de Agosto in Porto by a group of four or five people on two immigrants, who fled before the police arrived, he said. A police spokesman said two of the attackers were being treated at San Juan Hospital.
About 10 minutes later in Rua do Bonfim, 10 immigrants were attacked in the house where they were staying by a group of 10 men armed with sticks and suspected firearms, which the PSP has not yet been able to confirm. he said from the same source.
According to the spokesman, at 3 a.m. on Rua Fernandez Tomas, another immigrant was also attacked by other suspects, one of whom used a firearm.
Given the suspicion of a hate crime, the case was referred to the judicial police.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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