André Ventura walks purposefully through the shadows of Avenida da Liberdade outside. In one hand, he holds the stripe that reads “Portugal is not racist”. The other is for a few moments raised, right, in the air. “Oh André, don’t raise your hands as soon as they are going to photograph this”, jokes one of the men who march with him on the front line. Ventura laughs, waves and lowers his hand, a few photographs later. The walk continues.
It is not the first time that the apparent, or at least ambiguous, use of extreme right symbology in Chega events is controversial (months ago, a supporter was identified in a video giving the Nazi salute). But, at the demonstration that Ventura organized this Saturday in Lisbon, and which brought together several hundred people (the police speak in a thousand), the idea that the leader wanted to convey while speaking to his supporters was precisely the opposite: appeal to the “common Portuguese ”, To the“ good people ”that Ventura says constitute, in Portugal, a true silent majority. The first call to organize a demonstration of this kind had been expressed by skinhead Mário Machado, from whom Ventura later tried to take off.
There, in a march that left Marquês de Pombal and ended at Terreiro do Paço, a miscellany of anger and feelings of injustice was concentrated and concentrated in slogans, stripes and war cries: “Portugal is not racist”, “minorities with rights and duties ”,“ all lives matter ”,“ good police are alive police ”,“ racism is distraction ”,“ Portugal is not racist, it matters is racist ”, but also variations of“ I pay my taxes ”, complaints against “corruption” and “elitist politicians” and criticisms of “sold” media.
This is how Ventura summed it up: “We are the voice of ordinary Portuguese, who pay taxes, fed up with vandalized statues; we want a country that is not as poor as ever ”. He continued, Avenida da Liberdade out, to characterize himself and those who accompanied him: a right that is not the “cute right that does not interest Portugal”, he guaranteed, addressing Rui Rio and Francisco Rodrigues directly and by name dos Santos, leaders of the PSD and CDS, respectively; a right that is tired of the “subsidy-dependency” of minorities and of feeling “diminished and humiliated”, that “would die for their country” and that, if they “end” André Ventura, will continue his project.
The words of those who were there describe, in general lines, this feeling. Many refused to talk about the reasons for being there, amid strong criticism and provocations to the media, which, they believe, helps to “diminish” Chega. That was also the opinion of Rute Santos, a 43-year-old businesswoman who had arrived there directly from Viana do Castelo and who spoke to Expresso even the first hundreds of demonstrators were gathering at Marquês de Pombal. “What is at stake here are the rights of the Portuguese. I am a militant and if I were not I would be here for sure. Because Chega is for the Portuguese. It is not a counter-demonstration, in Portugal there is no racism! Where is there racism? ”. Approves? “There may be people who are racist, but do you think that if there were racists we would have parties as we have? The mother house of democracy with people who are not Portuguese? We have Cape Verdeans, black, white. If Portugal were really racist, it wouldn’t be. ”
An opinion similar to that of Álvaro Abreu, 68, a militant since the beginning of this year. “I see myself a lot at Chega because we are losing identity, losing our history, and it is too beautiful to throw away. Everything that happened, whether it was a mistake or not, is history. There is no racism in Portugal. There may be punctually, but let’s see what is the greatest racism: from one color to another, or from that color to the other ”, he defends. Beside her, Sandra corroborates and explains that she joined after reading a program which, she believes, “the only ones who will not really like it are those who live at the expense of those who pay high taxes and those who are overpaid in the Assembly of the Republic ”.
The case of the LGBT flag
Since that moment, still at Marquês de Pombal, there is a constant concern: the call for compliance with the rules of the General Health Directorate “as the leader wants”, asks Manuel Matias, a man from the organization; the distance of more or less an arm; the placement of the masks that the organization delivers; the distribution of leaders, activists and supporters in different rows and columns, with a rope separating them and marking the limits. “We are going to show those who are waiting for us to make mistakes that we are responsible people, from the right and the right”, appeals the organization.
There are masks of Chega and masks with the flag of Portugal, as there are numerous flags behind the back and tied around the neck, t-shirts with Barcelos roosters, the hymn sung at the start and at the arrival. And there is a very particular adornment: a vest distributed by many with the shape and reflective bands that adorn the police officers’ vests. Instead of a bright color, it is painted dark blue and a “Chega” written on the chest.
Through the national symbols and the vests imitating the police, who accompany the demonstration in columns and vans at all times and hear various thanks from the demonstrators, an unexpected symbol is distinguished. A young boy, in a semi-open shirt showing tattoos and phones in his ears, wields a rainbow flag, LGBT symbol, firmly in the ranks of Chega’s supporters. “I am here to be present for my community. They decided to do this Chega demonstration, which is against marriage and LGBT adoption, and I come to show that we are all the same ”, explains João Pedro, 27, to Expresso. Was someone approached ?. “I have the phones because of that, so I don’t hear anything”, he laughs.
Another moment of protest is also peaceful, led by several young blacks, who stand behind André Ventura when he says, facing the cameras, that there is no racism in Portugal and show posters that read, for example: “All lives matter! Are they all discriminated against? ”. Shortly afterwards they leave the place while an outburst: “I feel lighter”.
Sá Carneiro, Maria Vieira and “God in charge”
The demonstration is always orderly, as confirmed by PSP commissioner Artur Serafim, who pointed out, arriving at the Restauradores, to a presence of about a thousand people. The fact that the presence of about two hundred was initially mentioned by some bodies motivates André Ventura’s various ironies: “They said we were two hundred!”, Jokes at the microphone, causing laughter behind him and some insults to journalists.
The demonstrators clearly exceeded two hundred, but, according to police figures, they did not reach the two thousand that those who held the stripe even announced. Upon arrival at Terreiro do Paço, they were a long way from filling half the square reserved for the demonstration. But they were enough for Ventura, who during the week made a point of managing expectations, pointing to an expected estimate of 1500 people and asking them not to let him “walk alone”. Still, “they’ll tell you at night” that there were few, he said.
As many as were enough for the leader, in his energetic and inflamed style, to enliven the hosts, already on the stage set up for this purpose, by repeatedly announcing that this Saturday marks a “historic” day when the right went back out onto the street, the beginning from the journey to the “fourth Republic” that he says he wants to found. He cited Sá Carneiro several times – “politics without risk is a drag” – and even announced that the spirit of the founder of PSD (ex-party of Ventura) had descended there. He also used religious references several times: “Something told me that we couldn’t go back and that God would be in charge”.
Those who listened to it liked it and Ventura came out under a wave of applause, ending the national anthem. Next to her on stage, as in the rest of the demonstration and on the front line, was the actress Maria Vieira, very fond of the demonstrators who thanked her so much via loudspeaker. The actress responded: “You are the right man. May God protect you, my dear ”, he wished, addressing Ventura. They left the stage between ovations, to immediately enter the same car, accompanied by Maria Vieira’s husband and the actress’s dog.
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