“Direct threat” or not? The “brick” of discord and the request for “rijez”

Lsuis Montenegro denounced yesterday, Friday, October 16, the fact that an alleged protester for the right to housing in Porto “direct threats” to the prime minister’s home and have called for “violence”.

The head of the government said that the images he saw of the Wednesday demonstration – during which a muscular action of the PSP made more than 30 wounded – are “worried” and would still analyze some, namely, “the film of one of the passages made in these demonstrations, where among other things is done a direct appeal to violence, which makes a direct appeal to the import of conflict that we have seen today and which has occurred in other countries. And where even directly threatens the housing of the Prime Minister and his family“.

Shortly after making these statements, the Prime Minister's office released to the press the video to which Luís Montenegro referred. The same is true of an individual saying in a demonstration, before dozens of people, that it is “I need to find the address of the Prime Minister’s house and throw a brick”.

“ That's the end of the fucking peace. It is to burn something, yes”, one hears the alleged protester also telling the group of people who heard it.

“It does not mean it will hurt, unlike the batonadas of the previous day”

Meanwhile, the spokespersons of protesters who have camped in Porto, for the right to housing, have already come to ensure that the threat “is not true”, “it is not serious”, but that “the Prime Minister needs to earn a little harshness”.

The spokesman for the housing movement in protest a week ago in Porto, João Silveira, denied that the threat that appears in the video released by São Bento is “true”.

“It was there, and it's obviously not a real threat, which means we're on an open microphone, so anyone can come to us and sign up to talk. This person was, in fact, upset with all the intervention, with all the violence that had happened the day before, but obviously this does not mean that these words will ever hurt, unlike the sticks we took the day before”, defended the person responsible in statements to SIC News. 

João Silveira also clarified that the person who appears in the video to state, before dozens of other protesters, that it is “I need to discover the address of the Prime Minister’s house and throw a brick”, it's not part of the protest organization.

In addition, it ensures that “the organization does not see itself” in these threats: “As we have said from the beginning, we are a peaceful, orderly, calm organization that is here to claim its right to housing, the need to have more public housing park, rent ceilings, end of evictions and law regression.”

“ This does not need to go through the occupation of no house, of course ", insisted.

Despite the applause in the video, the spokesman for the housing movement assures that “there was never a proposal on the table to start radical acts”.

“ Things remain peaceful, so there is no reason for this to be taken as a serious threat,” he said.

“The Prime Minister needs to earn a little toughness”

In turn, activist Sérgio Bastos, also leader of one of the movements that manifest themselves for housing in Invicta, revealed to the TSF that the video on which the head of government's house is referred was debated during the popular assembly.

At the end of it, a vote was taken which dictated a public demarcation of the words spoken in the recording.

Still, Sérgio Bastos assured the radio that the bricks mentioned are not “to stone anyone”, but “to build houses”. And he advises “rijeza” to Montenegro.

“ People have freedom of speech, open mic is in fact open, open, everyone can come talk, we will not identify anyone who comes to talk, you may need to earn a little toughness, because with 55 houses to meet his will not be easy”he did.

The activist also denounced the fact that he was “insulted and threatened” every day, “as if he were lazy”, when he actually worked since he was 16.

“I’m not lazy, as no one else is here. We're fighting for our rights, we're tired of talking about bricks, batonadas of the ones we take. Even taking them, we do not want to talk about it”, he said, reaffirming that these manifestations are “peaceful”.

“ Bricks, once again, are to build houses, Prime Minister. If you do not want to lift them, let us lift them up.”, he did.

After the controversial police action in the early hours of Thursday, which made more than 30 wounded, among which a disabled person, on the night of that day about three thousand people concentrated to express themselves by the right to housing.

On Friday night, thousands again joined the protesters who camp in the square D. João I in defense of the right to housing.

The organizers called for the return to the site on Saturday, with the city's permission, throughout the day, in parallel with the action called for that day by CGTP.