As part of the celebrations of the apparitions of Fátima, which take place on the 13th of May, the National Republican Guard (GNR) will launch the Operation Safe Pilgrimage 2024 between the 4th and 14th of May.
During this period, the GNR will intensify patrolling actions on the main access roads to the city of Fátima and its Sanctuary, with the aim of supporting and guaranteeing the safety of pilgrims during their travels, also reinforcing policing in the surrounding areas.
“As this is an event of great impact at national and international level, which brings together thousands of faithful from all over the world, the GNR expects a high number of pilgrims to undertake the journey on foot, in large groups and often traveling along with intense traffic and narrow shoulders or the absence of them, which increases the risk of being run over”, states a press release from the GNR.
The police will divide the operation into two parts. Thus, from the 4th to the 11th of May, there will be a focus on the policing efforts towards the most critical routes, namely the routes used by pedestrian pilgrims and those surrounding the event venues and respective access roads, as well as towards the awareness among pilgrims.
Between the 12th and 14th, operators will guarantee the safety of religious celebrations taking place in the Sanctuary of Fátima and surrounding areas.
Since this significant gathering of people implies increased concern in aspects related to safety, the GNR advises pilgrims to walk in single file, signal the beginning and end of the groups and not walk on the road, but rather along the side of the road, duly marked with reflective vests.
The police also advise that you always walk on the side of the road opposite to the direction of traffic, do not walk in places where pedestrian movement is prohibited, do not use headphones or earphones, or use your cell phone during your journey, do not walk alone at night and Take special care when crossing roads.
In the city of Fátima and the Sanctuary, the GNR urges pilgrims to arrive early to avoid long queues and not to leave goods visible inside the vehicles. You can store them in the trunk before arriving at the place where you are going to park.
Do not leave personal documents in vehicles, always have them with you, do not carry your wallet/mobile phone in your back pocket or backpack, keep them in a front pocket or in a zipped bag that is always in contact with your body and avoid walking with large amounts of money, divide it and distribute it across several locations, the police force also warns.
Other advice given is not to carry valuables or objects that are conspicuous, always have a cell phone with battery and the contact details of the other members of the group and leave calmly and gradually after the ceremonies, avoiding long queues.
The GNR also recommends that you never lose sight of the elderly and children accompanying you, and they should always have contact with an adult in the group.
