A National Call for Peace
The national demonstration titled "Together for Peace! It is urgent to end the war!" gathered thousands at Largo do Rossio, according to organizers, in a collective plea to end the war in Palestine and the genocide of the Palestinian people.
Tiago Marques, 39, expressed his urgency in showing solidarity with Palestine, stating, "The United Nations, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders have all recognized this as genocide. It is shameful how the Portuguese state has responded to this situation, and it is crucial for the population to voice their discontent."
Lurdes Aguiar mentioned this was likely her fourth demonstration for Palestine, questioning what more could be said after over 50,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip. She feels the upcoming ceasefire is influenced by many interests, with some eager for it to last only a short time. Despite feeling powerless, she believes this demonstration is a way to make their voices heard.
Mateus Pablo, 69, joined the rally to advocate for global peace amidst rising arms sales by several powers and to defend Palestinian rights. Sérgio Pereira, 62, also voiced his solidarity for the Ukrainian people, insisting, "It is urgent to end all wars."
The demonstration, which reached Largo do Rossio around 4:30 PM, began at Cais do Sodré and is described as one of the largest by Ilda Figueiredo, representative of the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC), asserting it gathered thousands and thousands of people.
Slogans such as "Cut the arms, raise the salaries", "Peace in the Middle East, Independent Palestine", and "Israel is guilty of a massacred people" were chanted as protesters marched through the streets of Lisbon.
Near the end of the march on Rua do Ouro, Paulo Raimundo, the Secretary-General of the Communist Party, greeted the demonstrators and spoke to journalists, advocating for an end to Israel's war against Palestine, a policy of peace, and Portugal's recognition of the Palestinian state.
Currently, demonstrators remain at Largo do Rossio to listen to speeches from representatives of the organizing movements, with Ilda Figueiredo assuring that they will "continue together for peace".
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