Stop musicians and artists again at the demonstration on September 22 in Porto

The artists and musicians who are tenants of the Stop shopping center in Porto will demonstrate again on the 22nd on Avenida dos Aliados to protest against the city council’s order to stop using the building, as announced this Monday.

The order, signed by Porto City Council authorities on September 7, follows an order to stop using the Stop shopping center building.

In their statement, the musicians and artists from this space also highlight that the petition “In defense of musicians from CC Stop, Porto, culture and transparency in the urban process”, launched on August 28, has already collected 5,700 signatures, and this number “gives an additional boost of support from sides of public opinion.”

The petition in defense of Stop includes “names from a wide range of sectors”, including Sergio Godinho, Manuela Azevedo and Martim Sousa Tavares, among others.

“However, we await the development of negotiations between the owners of several factions of the building and the Porto City Council, in the hope of reaching an agreement that can support the activities of CC Stop within the necessary legal procedures,” say the musicians and artists. .

The group also emphasizes the importance of Stop as a space of undeniable cultural value, as well as a workplace for more than 500 musicians.

The owners and tenants of the Stop shopping center were notified on Friday by Porto City Council services that they have up to 10 working days to vacate the building.

Speaking to Lusa on Friday, the president of the Cultural Association of Musicians (ACM), Stop Rui Guerra, said that owners and tenants were notified through a notice posted on the door of the shopping center.

The notice, signed by the director of the Department of Municipal Inspection, announced the decision of the mayor of Porto to “determine the cessation of use of the building, all autonomous units and the parking lot.”

“Owners, tenants and other occupiers of the building, all self-contained units and the public parking lot of the Stop Shopping Center building of the above order are hereby given notice to cease their use with a period of 10 business days from the date of posting of this notice.” , says the document.

However, Rui Guerra admitted to Lusa that the musicians’ departure “could be reversible” if the owners provide Stop with the necessary security infrastructure to put out fires.

The Stop, which has operated as a cultural space with rehearsal rooms and studios for more than 20 years, closed most of its sections on July 18, leaving nearly 500 artists and shop owners with nowhere to go, but reopened on July 4. , with a fire truck at the door.

On July 24, several hundred people demonstrated in front of Porto City Hall to show “the true size of the Stop cultural center,” saying they wanted to return to the mall as soon as possible.

At a demonstration that featured signs reminding the Ministry of Culture of the “expropriation” of the Stop, but many also criticized the municipality’s actions following the removal of more than 100 shopkeepers from the square a few days earlier, the protest continued noisily until about 7:30 p.m., after whereupon they headed on foot to a shopping center located several kilometers away.