Thousands of people marched down Avenida Almirante Reis to "throw racism against the wall". Mariana Mortágua speaks of an "almost unprecedented moment".
From Praça do Chile, you can still see the flags on Alameda. Thousands of people gathered for the “Don’t push us against the wall” demonstration against xenophobia and racism. The demonstration was called after the police operation on Rua do Benformoso on December 19 and brought together civil society organizations and immigrant communities in defense of their rights.
“Nobody is illegal, capital is illegal,” shouted the protesters at the forefront, where hundreds of immigrant workers who contribute to Portuguese society gathered. In addition to protesting against police violence, organizations such as Solidariedade Imigrante and SOS Racismo also defend the rights of immigrants to regularization in Portuguese society.
“They had people pinned against the wall, with their hands above their heads, for a long time,” says Rajib. He already has Portuguese nationality, but was an immigrant in Portugal for many years, and feels that it is his home. “I want Portugal to be free for everyone and for the constitution to be for everyone.”
“Most people were very scared and this affected the businesses on the street,” he says. According to Rajib, the immigrants brought life back to Benformoso Street, opening new restaurants and businesses on a street that had long been lifeless. “Now it is one of the most lively streets in the city.”
Anabela Rodrigues, from the Solidariedade Imigrante association, is one of the organizers of the demonstration. She talks about a “great demonstration against racism and xenophobia” but also, as Rajib says, for “freedom and dignity for all people”.
The Solidariedade Imigrante banner features “immigrants from all walks of life”, but also “the Portuguese community” and many with Portuguese nationality. “We don’t want them to keep pushing us against the wall and for that image to repeat itself”, he says. But it is an image that is also common in the outskirts of Lisbon. “It is an image that we see several times in the suburbs”, he comments.
Miguel Cardoso, from the organization of the demonstration and national coordinator of Black Europeans , agrees. According to the activist, everyone who walks down the avenue has “a very strong commitment to anti-racism and xenophobia”.
“Anyone who lives in a peripheral neighborhood is used to dealing with police raids,” he says. “They are always carried out in a completely different way than in other areas.” And on Rua do Benformoso, “people almost celebrate the work of the police,” as if “the immigrant had to be cornered.”
Despite the many thousands who gathered to march down Avenida Almirante Reis, Miguel says that “the number of people doesn’t matter”, what matters is “that they are committed to the cause of anti-racism and xenophobia”. And for this very reason, from Alameda to Martim Moniz, people shouted that “no one is illegal”.
“Push racism against the wall”
The coordinator of the Left Bloc attended the demonstration in solidarity with immigrant workers and to combat xenophobia. Mariana Mortágua spoke of an “almost unprecedented moment” that brought together several parties, people and social movements.
They are people who “are proud of anti-racism” and “have the courage to show solidarity” to make a “great moment” in the fight against the extreme right and the politics of hate, saying that “we want to push racism against the wall”