Tensions erupt at immigrant protest
Meanwhile, authorities revoked permission for a far-right rally to be held provocatively in Martim Moniz, Lisbon, on April 25.
A peaceful protest organized by Portugal’s largest immigrant rights group, Solidariedade Imigrante, outside the AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) office in Porto on Wednesday was disrupted by far-right activists, sparking moments of high tension and police intervention.
The demonstration, which drew around a hundred participants by mid-morning, aimed to demand political attention to the pressing issues facing immigrant communities, particularly the lengthy delays in regularization processes by AIMA.
Many immigrants report waiting up to three years for residence permits, preventing them from living normal lives, traveling, or fully integrating despite working and contributing to social security in Portugal.
The protest was interrupted when an alleged far-right activist infiltrated the crowd with a megaphone, shouting inflammatory statements such as “immigrants don’t belong here” and accusing them of criminal behavior.
His remarks incited anger among the demonstrators, leading to a tense standoff before police intervened and removed four individuals from the area.
According to reports by RTP, the disruptors were members of the far-right group Reconquista, known for organizing anti-immigration actions.
The group’s involvement underscores rising tensions around immigration in Portugal, especially in the lead-up to the May 18 legislative elections.
During the demonstration, immigrants chanted slogans like “Documents for all, all, all,” echoing a call made by Pope Francis—who passed away earlier this week—and “We are immigrants, not criminals.”
This protest in Porto follows a similar one in Lisbon on April 7, where hundreds, primarily from the Indian subcontinent, gathered to decry the same bureaucratic delays.
The Porto demonstration had been previously announced by Solidariedade Imigrante, which continues to press for reforms to streamline residency procedures.
Far-right demonstration on April 25
Meanwhile, the Public Security Police (PSP) announced on Thursday that it has revoked permission for far-right demonstration planned for Friday, April 25, in Lisbon’s Martim Moniz Square.
The decision follows the scheduling of several demonstrations for the same location and time by groups with “distinct and opposing ideological positions,” which, according to the PSP, poses an increased risk to public order.
Organized by Ergue-te, Habeas Corpus, and Grupo 1143, under the guise of celebrating “diversity and inclusion,” the event would include a roast pig, widely seen as a provocation toward the area’s Muslim population.
Initially, the PSP had approved the far-right rally set for the afternoon of April 25, stating there was no perceived threat to public order.
However, after learning of other demonstrations with opposing motivations scheduled for the same time and place, the police reassessed the situation and raised concerns over the potential for clashes.
“In light of the diversity and proximity of demonstrations in Lisbon on April 25—some involving marches and conflicting objectives—the PSP is conducting a new risk assessment, analyzing all factors that could disrupt public peace,” the police said in a statement.
Following this reassessment, the PSP formally advised the Lisbon City Council, the competent administrative authority, against allowing the planned demonstrations in Martim Moniz to go ahead.
The provocative demonstration follows a February ruling from Lisbon’s Administrative Court upholding a ban on a previously planned event by Grupo 1143, led by convicted neo-Nazi Mário Machado, citing threats to public order and human rights.