Planned far-right demonstration worries immigrants and authorities
There is great concern about a planned far-right demonstration in Lisbon, Portugal, scheduled for February 3rd, with a focus on protesting against the “Islamization” of certain neighborhoods in the city.
The concern among immigrants and authorities is due to fears of potential violence and growing hate speech and racism directed towards immigrants, particularly those from South Asia. The local police and security services are closely monitoring the situation and are planning to take appropriate measures.
The protest has been organized mainly on Telegram channels associated with the far right, something that police forces and security services are closely monitoring.
Community organizations supporting immigrants in the affected areas have also expressed worry about the rise of hate speech and discrimination, particularly targeting children. Immigrants in the area report feeling safe within their neighborhoods but facing discrimination outside.
“There are also children at school, with their more naive speech, who call peers from other parts of the world derogatory names. It’s a growing phenomenon that urgently needs to be deconstructed,” says president Filipa Bolotinha from the Renovar a Mouraria association , also recalling a recent case of a video posted on social media in which members of the Hindustani community are insulted in a street in that Lisbon neighborhood.
This event is causing apprehension among the immigrant community in Martim Moniz and Mouraria in Lisbon.