The Portuguese are not natural protestors, preferring now to support campaigns on social media rather than do yellow hi-viz jackets and gather under the watchful eye of the police.
The plan hatched in cyberspace, to gather in 25 cities on Friday to disrupt traffic in protest at a range of government-inspired ills, produced low numbers of protestors in most venues and only 200 in Lisbon.
A few days before Christmas, 26-years ago on December 21, 1992, Martinair flight MP495 crashed at Faro Airport.
On board were 13 crew members and 327 passengers, mainly holidaymakers from the Netherlands. Two cabin crew and 54 of the passengers were killed in the accident. Additionally, 106 people were badly injured.
The British government has warned air travellers between the UK and Portugal to expect delays this holiday period due to the planned strike action by borders staff.
The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has scheduled a stoppage between the 26th and 28th of December.
Representatives from the Algarve’s hotel and restaurant workers’ union demonstrated along the streets of Faro today, handing out leaflets outlining their protest against low wages and poor working conditions.
"This action aimed to contact workers to clarify the contradictory situation in the sector, where, on the one hand, there is a growth of company profits, and, on the other hand, wages and workers' purchasing power is decreasing and working conditions are deteriorating," the union leaders explained.
On December 21st, 1952, the Cineteatro São Brás opened its doors with a showing of the romantic classic, ‘Duas Causas,’ with Artur Semedo and the locally born actress, Mariana Vilar.
Some 66 years later, there again is cause for celebration as the building is undergoing a revamp costing around €100,000, injecting new live into the old building.
There already have been more than 10,000 accidents registered on the Algarve's roads this year.
This is the second year running that the 10,000-accident barrier has been exceeded with the December 15th tally of 10,257 comfortably over the line.
Lagos Council is aware of the high number of locals that can not afford to rent accommodation from the private sector.
The Council also is aware that there is a distinct lack of council houses available for lower income families so has decided to set aside €15 million to build some council houses.
The 33 people, who landed in the Portuguese capital on Monday and today, are the first of 1,010 refugees whom Portugal pledged to admit from camps in Turkey and Egypt by October 2019 in the framework of the current EU resettlement programme.
This is the most ambitious resettlement programme carried out in Portugal to date and "demonstrates the country’s strong commitment to refugee protection," according to the UNHCR.
