Nova Ordem Social group organized the conference of the far-right parties consisted of only 65 people from all over Europe.
Hundreds of people walked across the main streets of Lisbon at the weekend protesting against the conference of far-right parties, organized by the Portuguese Nova Ordem Social. There were only about 65 people from all over Europe, "the seats were empty, signaling the lack of popularity of the far-right in Portugal," stated a Reuters report.
“It shouldn’t be acceptable in our country to authorize events which bring together, from various countries, movements which are xenophobic, racist and openly fascist,” Left Bloc lawmaker Isabel Pires said.
As the conference was happening, demonstrators carrying anti-Nazi posters marched in a protest backed by left-wing parties including the Portuguese Communists’ party and the Left Bloc, which support the ruling Socialists in parliament.
Portugal is one of the four European countries, where there is no representation of far-right parties in parliament.
The government, led by Prime-Minister Antonio Costa, has been heavily criticized by protest organizers for allowing the conference to go ahead. It brought together members of several European groups, including Germany’s Die Rechte, which amongst other policies, denies the holocaust, and France’s Parti Nationaliste Francais.
“We didn’t want to be out of an international movement taking place in Europe,” Nova Ordem Social Leader Mario Machado stated on the sidelines of the conference. Machado was released from prison in 2017, after spending ten years in prison for crimes including racial discrimination.
