“I will not contribute to the street winning the polls. The street has its role”

O mEPs João Cotrim Figueiredo reinforced this Sunday that the law of 1974 that has been so much talked about in the context of protests for the right to housing is “very dated” and that, between protests and police action, little has been said about housing. As for the antenna time that has been given to the subject, it left some criticism.

“ I do not want to be a useful idiot to those who have already instrumentalized this struggle and these demonstrations – they have taken them politically. I will not highlight more than what is absolutely necessary”, he started by referring to the heading “Sight So”, issued in SIC News.

“ The law is the famous law of 1974. They remembered that it exists and that it should be discussed – and, in fact, it must be changed”, he said, pointing out that “he was careful” to see the law, that “it still prohibits manifestations that pay attention to morals, without leaving very well defined who defines what is moral [...]”.

“They prohibit, systematically, without exception, parades and processions before 7:30 p.m. on any working day. It is obviously a very dated law”, he explained.

As for the position of the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the liberal pointed out that they have insistently asked him what was going on, and that he “was well” in the answer. “And he said: No one is above the law. It is clear to me what should happen”.

Cotrim Figueiredo also revealed that what the “ Worryer is that interpretation has been erratic”. “Here I am more concerned about erratic nature, which leads me to conclude that by moving the law I do not believe there will be a revolution in the kind of limitations that this law foresees,” he said.

Cotrim Figueiredo added that “what will end up in force is the word of the local authorities, the local authorities have to see at every moment what it is that is or is not likely to do what is always in the demonstrations”.

As for the political instrumentalization that has been done, the commentator said that “police intervention as a motto”. “For five days or six I haven’t heard about housing,” he said.

The former president of the Liberal Initiative also argued that the great media coverage of the subject “contributes to this issue never being resolved”. And reinforced: “I’m not going to be one that contributes to getting the street to win at the polls. The street has its role, people even have a duty to express their indignation and disagreement with matters they want. They cannot replace voting machines and elections, that is why people elect their representatives.”.