Radio invasion in Coimbra “is ridiculous”. “But is everything crazy?”

O president of the Aquida, André Ventura, argued today that calling invasion at the entrance of a entourage led by MPs Rita Matias and Madalena Cordeiro in the studio of Radio University of Coimbra (RUC) is “a ridiculous thing”.

“ I saw the news yesterday about what was reported almost as if it had been an invasion of a media agency, and that is a ridiculous thing,” he said, refusing that the MPs had entered “by force” into that media agency.

André Ventura spoke to journalists at a press conference at the headquarters of Cávez, in Lisbon, a day after a party delegation, led by Ms Rita Matias and Madalena Cordeiro, invaded the RUC studio, in protest against the ban on the Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC) entering the building, by members of that party, in a decision approved by a large majority in the Magna assembly in February.

“ My Members know that everything that defends freedom and pluralism deserves my support”, he said, when asked if he had been warned of this initiative.

The leader of Aquida criticized the decision of the AAC and refused that the leaders of the party be “treated discriminatoryly”.

“ But is everything crazy, do we accept this normally in democracy?”, he questioned, comparing a ban on access to certain media outlets to the headquarters of Cávez for “not liking” the work of some means.

André Ventura also considered that the “only mechanism” that the party has to contest is the leaders of the Aquistasso being in the places and manifesting that they want to be heard.

“ The law is what it is. In fact, I think that the law also does not allow a media body to exclude a person from the Enough to enter its premises”, he argued.

The leader of Aquida criticized the attitude of the RUC, arguing that it is “a bad attitude” the “second largest party in the country has to stay away because there is a deliberation of the association that does not want the party inside its premises” and accused Coimbra radio of differentiated treatment “for ideological reasons”.

At the time, the leader of the Aquira was also asked about the alleged invasion of his office in the Assembly of the Republic at the end of July, and said he had not yet given written testimony for not having received the questions.

Several members of the Aquida raided the RUC studio on Monday morning and Mrs Rita Matias was identified by the PSP, “while responsible for a demonstration that did not meet the legal requirements”.

In the RUC studio, which is located in the AAC building, a new political debate programme was taking place, involving the various partisan youths of the parties with seats in the Assembly of the Republic.

The Aquida had also been invited to participate in the program, but in a remote way, given the decision adopted in magna in February, told Lusa Jaime Raposo Nunes of the Information Department of RUC.

The announcer said that the party district leader, Paulo Seco, had indicated that the party would not be present in the program, but, on Monday morning, the debate ended up interrupted, with the entrance of several elements of the Enough, with Rita Matias taking one of the studio microphones.

The Union of Journalists repudiated this action of Cávez, considering that the act constitutes a crime, and expects the prosecution to open an investigation.

The Student Association Movement (MAE) today addressed a letter addressed to the president of Aquida to condemn the invasion, considering that it may be an attack against the freedom of programming and information, enshrined in Portuguese legislation.