More than eight thousand people participated in anti-Troika and anti-government demonstrations in Faro and Portimão, the reporters from Sul Informação On the ground.
Em Faro, joined the protest about 4000 people, who roamed the streets of the city's downtown. "No more pimps of the motherland and of us", read one of the banners.
In the capital of the Algarve, the protest started from Largo da Pontinha, went on to the Doca de Faro, through Rua de Santo António, departing from there towards the Teatro Lethes. After returning to Pontinha, the demonstrators did not stop and made the round trip to Rotunda do Liceu, on Avenida 5 de Outubro.
Among the demonstrators, there were, among many other personalities, the former socialist MEP Jamila Madeira and the former president of ERTA Nuno Aires, also from the PS. Moreover, along the way, it was notorious that more and more people were joining the approximately 1500 who originally departed from Pontinha.
For one of the "facilitators" of the demonstration this Saturday on social networks João Cloud, the balance "can only be positive". “It ended up not being a popular assembly, as we still don't have that culture. There was some improvisation, we did the parade because people wanted to," said João Cloud, stressing that he tried his best not to condition or "direct" the initiative, leaving the decisions in the hands of the demonstrators.
Along the way, slogans were shouted, which were more often "thieves", "dismissal" and "The people united, will never be defeated". Although the initiative included a picnic at Largo da Pontinha, at the beginning of the evening few people remained in the place, despite the fact that the meeting in which several people gave their testimony still had considerable attendance.
In Portimão, it was not yet 16 pm and there were already many people arriving at Largo 00º de Maio, in front of the Town Hall, the meeting point for the demonstration. With posters, banners, cards, all bearing more or less strong slogans, as well as drums and pot lids, the cries of protest quickly rose into the air.
In the square in front of the Chamber were people of all ages, whole families, people of all professions, with many teachers, businessmen, retired people, unemployed, and people from all parties, but, for the most part, without any political color.
In the middle of the demonstration, the Sul Informação he saw, discreetly, Manuel da Luz, mayor of Portimão, some of his councilors, Carlos Tuta (former mayor of Monchique), but also João Vasconcelos, from the Left Block, and people linked to the PSD in Portimão and elsewhere of the Algarve.
The demonstration then turned into a parade and went through the streets of the city, up Rua de Santa Isabel, down Rua das Lojas, past Alameda, across Rua Direita and Largo 1º de Dezembro, in front of the theater, and ending in riverside area, next to the bandstand and Casa Inglesa.
"The united people will never be defeated!" was one of the shouted phrases, but you also hear screams of “Thieves! Thieves!» addressed to the Government, «Steps listen, the people are in struggle». There were whistles, boos, the «Grândola» was sung and even the National Anthem.
In the middle of that sea of people, several children on their parents' piggybacks were banging on pots, while there were those who had taken drums and even a bagpipe to the protest.
In the end, when João Vasconcelos took the floor next to the bandstand, there were those who shouted "Portugal yes, no parties!"
One of the participants at the demonstration enthusiastically said: "This was the biggest demonstration ever in Portimão!"
See the two photo galleries from the demonstrations of Faro, Portimão e Loulé, on our Facebook page
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