Racist attacks in Porto: attackers will be linked to far-right movements

Around 200 people joined a vigil against racism, in Porto, in front of the Bonfim parish council. The protest was called after an organized group had invaded a house and attacked a dozen immigrants. Some of the victims remain hospitalized. The government and President of the Republic condemned the attack.

Alam Shah Kazol is originally from Bangladesh and has lived in Portugal for 32 years. He admits that he has never seen an episode of violence like last Saturday.

The cell phone recording, to which Jornal de Notícias had access, shows the level of destruction of a floor on Rua do Bonfim, in Campo 24 de Agosto, in Porto.

Ten Algerian immigrants and 1 Venezuelan were attacked by an armed group that invaded the house with the intention of beating, destroying and using racist insults.

“There is no explanation for this type of reactions. There is nothing that motivates popular justice”, says João Aguiar, president of the Bonfim parish council.

In recent nights, at least 15 workers and immigrants from various origins – Bangladesh, Algeria, Venezuela – were attacked and beaten, both on the street and inside homes, in the Batalha and Campo 24 de Agosto areas.

These organized groups always act in the same way: hooded, armed with bats, baseball bats and firearms.

The motivation? Episodes of disturbances and robberies have been recorded in these areas. And there are those who accuse foreign citizens of being the perpetrators.

And it was because SOS Racismo did not accept this idea that they scheduled a vigil for this Saturday night, in front of the Bonfim parish council, in solidarity with the immigrant community.

The President of the Republic has already condemned the attack. He says that practices of racial and xenophobic violence have no place in Portuguese society.

The same did Luís Montenegro and the Minister of Internal Administration, who reaffirm zero tolerance to hate.

From what Diário de Notícias found, the PSP has already identified six suspects in this attack and arrested another for illegal possession of a weapon. They are all Portuguese nationals and are suspected of being linked to far-right movements.