Thousands take to the streets in Lisbon to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Responding to an appeal launched by CPPC, CGTP-IN, MPPM and Projecto Ruído, Lisbon once again witnessed a large demonstration in which thousands of people, on Friday 8 December, marching between Martim Moniz and Largo José Saramago, demanded an end to the genocidal aggression against Gaza, an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and respect for the national and human rights of the Palestinian people.

On the stage set up in Largo José Saramago, successive speakers spoke: Idália Tiago, from Fundação José Saramago, who read a short text that the Portuguese Nobel laureate wrote on 11 January 2009, addressed to the participants in a demonstration called for that Sunday in Madrid to protest against the aggression then underway against Gaza; Raquel Ribeiro, journalist and researcher, one of the promoters and signatories of an appeal for an immediate, lasting and sustained ceasefire leading to the cessation of the current escalation of violence in Palestine, signed by over 100 personalities from the arts, culture, science or academia in Portugal; Margarida Brissos, nurse, promoter of the Portuguese health professionals’ appeal for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and for urgent humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip; Dima Mohammed, Palestinian and university researcher, who affirmed the resistance of the Palestinian people; Carlos Almeida, vice-president of MPPM [text attached]; Isabel Camarinha, General Secretary of CGTP-IN; and Ilda Figueiredo, president of the National Board of CPPC.

The presentation was made by Pedro Henriques and Mariana Cal from Projeto Ruído who, at the end, on behalf of the promoting organisations, thanked everyone for their presence and the contribution they have made to this struggle in the dozens of actions that have taken place across the country, ensuring that we will not, as we never have, let the struggle of the Palestinian people be forgotten or erased.

An upcoming initiative was announced for Porto, and it was guaranteed that we will continue to take to the streets in solidarity with Palestine, demanding an end to Israeli bombings and attacks, an immediate and permanent ceasefire, urgent humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, an end to the violence of the Israeli military and settlers in the West Bank, and the creation and recognition of the State of Palestine, with compliance with United Nations resolutions.