Hundreds of vehicles, including cars and motorbikes, participated this Saturday in a protest against tolls on Via do Infante, a slow march with a horn marked by several incidents between protesters and GNR soldiers.
Several times, there were tense moments between the police and the protesters, which reached their peak at the Ria Shopping mall, in Olhão, motivated by the identification of some protesters, which led to tempers rising.
The protest was attended by elements of the Commission of Users of Via do Infante and the Motoclube de Faro and there was still great popular support from the moment the protest entered the city of Olhão.
Also present were the mayors and mayors of Olhão Municipal Assembly, Francisco Leal and Filipe Ramires, who wanted to show their disagreement with the introduction of tolls on Via do Infante, but, above all, with the cancellation of the work on the Olhão bypass to the EN 125.
The protest was well attended, not only with regard to the vehicles that joined, but above all the support received from the population.
Along the EN 125, already inside Olhão, many people of all ages waited for the march to pass and greeted it enthusiastically.
At this time, the presence of the police was not as noticeable as on the stretch of EN 125 between the exit of Faro and the entrance to Olhão.
But shortly after the protest took hold at the Ria Shopping, the place designated for its end, a GNR patrol identified a protester, an action that had already been repeated before.
According to José Domingos, one of the identified protesters and the one who had the most interaction with law enforcement officials, told reporters that it is expected that fines will be sent to these people, something that has happened in the past. »I have already received a fine of 250, 500 euros and 750 euros. All on the same day», he assured and for the same reason, obstruct the public road.
Fines that you said you will not pay, for not considering them legitimate. “We asked for authorization to make the protest. They were the ones who stopped us several times and even put their foot in front of the wheel», he accused.
CUVI member João Vasconcelos, on the other hand, warned that this movement will not give truce and will even “intensify actions in the summer”. "From now on, we will carry out regular actions, once a month," he guaranteed.
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