Some protesters, including several representatives and Chega leaders, shouted “Lula, the thief, you belong in prison”
A few hundred people gathered this Tuesday in front of the Palácio de Belém, in Lisbon, in a rally in support of Brazilian president Lula da Silva, and in another demonstration against it, promoted by the Chega party.
In the demonstration called by Chega against the presence of the President of Brazil in Lisbon, people shouted for the party and also for its leader, André Ventura.
The protesters, including several Chega deputies and leaders, shout “Lula, the thief, you belong in prison” or “Lula, listen, we don’t want you here”, and hold up posters with the image of the Brazilian President dressed in black and white stripes, as if he were behind bars.
Other posters also read “a thief’s place is in prison” or “zero tolerance to corruption”, with images of Lula and former prime minister José Sócrates.
Demonstrations against Lula da Silva mark the Brazilian president’s visit to Portugal. EPA/JOAO RELVAS
These supporters also have Chega, Brazilian and Portuguese flags.
Also in the Afonso de Albuquerque garden, on the other side of the road in front of the Belém Palace, there are more than a hundred Lula da Silva supporters, most of them Brazilians, with flags and t-shirts of the PT, the party of the Brazilian head of state, and also with his face, as well as flags of Brazil and Portugal.
Pro-Lula da Silva demonstrations mark the Brazilian president’s visit to Portugal. EPA/JOAO RELVAS
These protesters have a banner that reads “Lula, Portugal welcomes you with open arms” and another “Lula 2026” and they are shouting “Lula, warrior of the Brazilian people”, “Portugal has a future with Lula and Seguro” or “hello, hello, Lula, Lula”.
Both concentrations are delimited by fences and police tape, and there is a strong police presence on site, more concentrated on the side of Lula’s supporters.
The leader of Chega joined the demonstration around 1pm, dressed in a white party t-shirt, with the inscription “André Ventura 1” on the back, which he said was given to him by “a Brazilian who lives in Lisbon and who is suddenly stuck in Brazil”.
Upon arrival, André Ventura was approached by supporters to take photos but also by a young man who told him that he did not agree with this demonstration called by Chega.
“Every time Lula da Silva comes here, Chega does what worthy people should do, which is to protest, saying that we don’t want corruption, that the president of Brazil cannot go around Europe saying that what we have to do is open the doors even more to criminals”, stated the Chega leader in statements to journalists when he joined the demonstration.
Ventura argued that “everything cannot go in politics” and made a comparison: “We today would also not receive the president of North Korea or others, who are murderers and corrupt”, in Portugal.
Asked whether he would not receive Lula da Silva if he were prime minister or president of the Republic, André Ventura stated that “the presence of “corrupt” people in Portugal must be avoided.
André Ventura is also expected to speak to those present on a stage set up for that purpose, but beforehand several deputies and party leaders spoke, as well as Brazilian citizens and an evangelical pastor.
Throughout the various speeches, there was criticism of Lula da Silva and also of the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, for receiving him.
The parliamentary leader, Pedro Pinto, was one of those who took the stage to address the protesters, and stated that Chega only wants in Portugal “Brazilians who work” and who “come for the good”, and “others can leave”.
Deputy Bruno Nunes also suggested that the “unemployed and unemployed” who participated in the other demonstration “have everything in Brazil to be able to return” and, therefore, “have no excuse to stay here, go back there”.
“António José Seguro receiving it today demonstrates the constant collusion between the PS and terrorists all over the world, dictators, governments linked to drug trafficking”, claimed the deputy, who also left a message to the President of the United States: “Donald Trump, if you don’t know the way to Brazil, we’ll lend you the letters we had from 1500”.
