Porto Metropolitan Council Accused of Illegally Barring Journalists from Public Meeting

The Journalists' Union (SJ) has strongly condemned the Porto Metropolitan Council (CMP) for blocking journalists from entering a meeting that, by law, should have been public. In a statement released on Tuesday, the SJ praised and supported the journalists who protested by leaving the premises of the Área Metropolitana do Porto (AMP), where the meeting of local officials took place.

Following a complaint from journalists who were denied entry and waited an hour without explanation from the AMP, the SJ is filing formal complaints with the AMP and the Entidade Reguladora da Comunicação Social (ERC). The union stated that the treatment of these journalists shows disrespect for the profession and the public, undermining the essential role of journalism in a democratic society.

By barring access to a public meeting, the CMP violated the right to access information sources and impeded freedom to inform and be informed, contravening the Constitution, the Press Law, and the Journalist Statute. It also blatantly ignored the Regime Jurídico das Autarquias Locais, which specifies in Article 70 that metropolitan council meetings must be public.

This was the first meeting of Greater Porto's mayors after local elections, aimed at electing the new CMP leadership. The selection involved eight PSD, eight PS, and one CDS-PP mayors, resulting in Pedro Duarte (PSD), the new mayor of Porto, being chosen.

Menezes Claims Ignorance of the Law

Luís Filipe Menezes, who convened the meeting, responded to questions by admitting ignorance of the law, stating that none of the 17 mayors present knew the meeting was open to journalists. He dismissed the incident as overblown, saying, "We did not know the law. None of the 17." Menezes, returning to Vila Nova de Gaia's council after a 12-year break, explained that he was unaware due to past experience with the former "junta metropolitana," renamed in 2013. He promised future compliance but disagreed with the law, suggesting limited public access might be more appropriate and downplaying the seriousness of the event.

The SJ noted that this incident is part of a growing trend of disrespect towards journalists, with increasing threats, pressures, and insinuations. It also criticized the rise of statements without Q&A sessions and highlighted the government's plan for a communication office to bypass journalistic scrutiny, which could undermine democratic oversight.