“ Decision's for that case. If it was a popular action, it could be another”

O secretary-General of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Hugo Soares, argued, this Monday, that the decision made by the Lisbon Administrative Court says that “it is permitted, in an individual response to an applicant, to assemble a tent for a demonstration”, echoing the position of the Minister of Internal Administration (MAI), Luís Neves, in regard to protests for housing.

“I believe that the judicial decision – which must be respected with democratic humility but above all with humility and a spirit of respect for judicial decisions – is very clear, and I believe that the statement, or the interpretation of the Minister of Internal Administration it's also very clear. The decision is clear and must be respected as clearly as it is. What does the court decision say? He says that it is allowed, in an individual response to an applicant, to set up a tent for a demonstration – something that happened in Portugal many years ago of this part”, he said, in statements to CNN Portugal.

The leader of the PSD parliamentary band pointed out that “court decisions are not for a collective”, but “are individual, concrete and respond to a request“, in this case Renata Cambra, spokesperson for the United Workers (TU), a party he founded in 2024, after a split in the Socialist Alternative Movement (MAS), which also headed.

Although he admitted that the law is abstract and general, applying equally to Renata Cambra, as well as the other person, Hugo Soares reiterated several times that “the decision is concrete and individual”.

“ Court decisions are not for everyone. The court's decision is for that particular case. If it were a popular action, for example, the decision could be another ", equated.

The Social Democrats also appealed to “good sense”, bearing in mind that “there has been no demonstration to date, of these all that have happened, that have gone wrong, that has not been respected within their limits, in their legitimacy”.

“ There was an interpretation by the police of a law that has come since 1974 and has never been called into question. [...] This law forbids a camp for occupying the public space, which should belong to each of us. I just want to appeal to common sense. The demonstrations have taken place beautifully to this day and I would like to appeal to you to run again today. What happened and what went wrong were the camped calls, which is something different from the demonstration. There was a group of people who understood that the demonstrations should come from a camp, that is, from a camp in public space, after 12:30 p.m.”, criticized, inviting the Portuguese to reflect on the need to extend a protest through the early hours.

The person responsible also claimed that “Renata Cambra is not a party citizen”, since “she was a militant of the MAS and is now a militant of another party of the radical left.”.

“ This spokesperson for those citizens who put this action in court – for her – is far from being a party citizen. This woman, a free citizen, is not a party”, reinforced.

Faced with a possible break in the relationship between Bethlehem and St Benedict, facing the contrary positions of the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, and of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, Hugo Soares assumed that “no Portuguese liked what he saw” during the police charges to protesters.

“ I will underline, write down and endorse the words of the President of the Republic, to realise that there is no problem in the institutional relationship – I believe. No Portuguese liked to see a PSP operation, which had to impose order, often using force. We are a country of mild customs. The image of the country is at stake, and respect for order, law and representative democracy”, he said.

And he summed up: “PSP understood how it understood to interpret the law. Today, the court, on a concrete and individual decision, decided that that particular lady has the right to set up her tent. But the judge says you have to take all of this with collective interest. What I want to say to him is: to subscribe to the words of the President of the Republic, Portugal is not used to this kind of situation – we are used to demonstrations complying with the law – and we encourage dialogue, which is what we are doing.”

It is recalled that the decision of the Lisbon Administrative Court stated that the limit of 00:30 for demonstrations is not “absolute and automatic”. In addition, the protest may continue until 24 November 2026, which is scheduled for the final vote on the State Budget for 2027, including between 12.30 and 6.30 p.m., but will have to be articulated with the Christmas Market, which will be set up in Rossio, Lisbon.

“ If the coexistence of the demonstration and the Christmas Market [...] is materially unfeasible, it should be made available [to the protester] alternative location near or contiguous, able to preserve the visibility, communicative effectiveness and symbolic significance of the protest”, he determined.

Justice also ordered the PSP and the Lisbon Municipal Police to refrain from “adopting measures of dispersion, cessation or removal of the right of manifestation” of the citizen, “if it is being exercised in the manner prescribed”.

The protester, in turn, cannot make noise between 00:00 and 06:30, nor use fire fires or pyrotechnic materials, call into question the circulation and access to Rossio and the health of space.

The subpoena for the protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees was initiated by Renata Cambra and lawyer Leonor Caldeira, but covers the entire group of demonstrators, according to spokesman Ana Luíza. In fact, the camp has admitted to taking new proceedings, particularly against the PSP, if the decision of the court is not respected.