Nationwide Solidarity Protests Erupt Following Attack on Actor Adérito Lopes

Nationwide solidarity protests took place this Sunday in response to the attacks and intimidation against actors from the theater A Barraca by a group of neo-Nazis. Cities like Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra saw hundreds unite against hate speech and crimes.

"We don't want to live in a country of fear" was the rallying cry at the gathering near A Barraca theater in Lisbon. Andreia Galvão, from the organizing group, emphasized the need for a democratic response to the escalating racist aggression, stating, "The country where this is normal is not the country we live in, and we'll do everything to ensure it never becomes one."

Galvão, also an actress, highlighted that the attack shows "the targets of neo-Nazis or the far-right are all of us," not just immigrants. She criticized the lack of condemnation from political figures, notably Luís Montenegro, for not addressing the attack on culture.

Political parties Livre, PCP, and BE were present, with PCP's secretary-general Paulo Raimundo calling the assault a hate crime and stressing that "culture cannot be imprisoned." BE's coordinator Mariana Mortágua warned of the worrying rise of the far-right and accused the government of failing to condemn recent attacks.

Actress Rita Blanco joined the protests, lamenting that "society is truly sick" and criticizing the government's weak stance. She emphasized the symbolic violence against actors, who represent imagination and dreaming, as a sign of societal illness.

In Funchal, a protest in front of the Baltazar Dias theater showed solidarity with Adérito Lopes, with participants stressing the importance of freedom of expression and the necessity for creation to remain free.