PORTUGAL: Activists say peaceful demonstrators are being prevented from entering the country ahead of major NATO summit in Lisbon

Record ID: 644361

  • Title: PORTUGAL: Activists say peaceful demonstrators are being prevented from entering the country ahead of major NATO summit in Lisbon
  • Date: 19th November 2010
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (NOVEMBER 18, 2010) (REUTERS) POLICE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE TRAIN STATION POLICEMAN CARRYING BARRIER POLICEMEN SETTING UP BARRIERS TO CLOSE OFF STREET OUTSIDE STATION POLICEMAN OPENING VAN DOOR VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN NEAR VANS PARKED OUTSIDE STATION TWO POLICEMEN DRIVING PAST ON ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES VIEW OF EXPO CONVENTION HALL WHERE NATO SUMMIT IS TO BE HELD POLICEMEN TALKING TO EACH OTHER VARIOUS OF TWO POLICEMAN TALKING TO VAN DRIVER VIEW OF POLICEMEN NEAR ROUNDABOUT OUTSIDE EXPO CONVENTION HALL ANTI-NATO ACTIVISTS PREPARING TO BEGIN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REINER BRAUN, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LAWYERS AGAINST NUCLEAR ARMS, SAYING: "It is not understandable and acceptable for us, in the Europe of the 21st century, that for people is not allowed to attend protest actions." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDREAS SPECK, WAR RESISTERS INTERNATIONAL, SAYING: "It was already mentioned several times, several people have been stopped at the borders, we have been in contact - I have been in contact personally - with one of the people on the Finnish coach, which is the Union of Conscientious Objectors, Finland, an organisation affiliated to War Resisters International, and clearly a pacifist organisation. And they were stopped at the border and were told they're not allowed to enter Portugal because they pose a threat to public order and the welfare of the country, which is completely ridiculous because this is a group of committed pacifists coming to non-violently protest against the summit." VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER GERMAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE LEFT-WING PARTY "DIE LINKE," TOBIAS PFLUEGER, SAYING: "You know Afghanistan is a big mess, what is going on there. And they all know that it is not successful what they do. And it's clear that our position, to withdraw all troops as soon as possible, has a big support inside the people in Europe and international." NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Police,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3KTFKBUMV9RJQU8E7QUQMUA93
  • Story Text: Anti-NATO activists condemned on Thursday (November 18) security measures that have seen Portuguese police prevent potential protesters from travelling to Lisbon ahead of a Nov. 19-20 NATO summit.
    Thirty-nine heads of state are expected to attend, including U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
    To ensure their safety, and prevent a repeat of violent anti-NATO protests at an April 2009 gathering of the western military alliance in Strasbourg, Portuguese police say they have undertaken the biggest security operation in their country's history.
    Measures include the suspension of the Schengen treaty on free travel within a 25-nation area in Europe, until the conclusion of the summit.
    Anti-NATO groups say they are planning peaceful direct action protests in Lisbon ahead of, and during, the summit, in addition to supporting an anti-NATO protest march on Saturday where police expect up to 20,000 people.
    But one member of the International Coordination Committee (ICC) for groups opposed to NATO, Lucas Wirl, may not be among them.
    On Thursday, the ICC said the German peace activist had been stopped at Lisbon airport, found to be carrying leaflets for a NATO counter summit planned for Nov.19-21, and refused entry to the country.
    "It is not understandable and acceptable for us, in the Europe of the 21st century, that for people is not allowed to attend protest actions," said Reiner Braun, of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.
    Braun added that the ICC had appealed to German Foreign Minister Westerwelle to ensure that Wirl would be allowed to attend the counter summit.
    Andreas Speck, of War Resisters International, said that a bus carrying pacifists from Finland had also been turned back at the Spanish-Portuguese border.
    "I have been in contact personally with one of the people on the Finnish coach, which is the Union of Conscientious Objectors, Finland, an organisation affiliated to War Resisters International, and clearly a pacifist organisation. And they were stopped at the border and were told they're not allowed to enter Portugal because they pose a threat to public order and the welfare of the country, which is completely ridiculous because this is a group of committed pacifists coming to non-violently protest against the summit," said Speck.
    On the agenda for the NATO summit will be a transition plan for Afghanistan, and anti-NATO activists said the lengthy conflict there had turned more westerners against the alliance.
    "You know Afghanistan is a big mess, what is going on there. And they all know that it is not successful what they do. And it's clear that our position, to withdraw all troops as soon as possible, has a big support inside the people in Europe and international," said former MEP, and member of Germany's leftwing Die Linke party, Tobias Pfluger.
    Police forces were seen around the Expo convention hall where the summit will be held as well as outside the nearby train station.
    According to local police headquarters, forces from around the country will be in place when the summit officially opens on Friday.
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