30,000 protest NATO Summit in Lisbon

Banner calls Portugal's president and prime minister 'servants of death' and demands an 'end to NATO.' Flag at upper left demands freedom for U.S. political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal. Photo: Jorge Figueiredo

Some 30,000 people marched through central Lisbon on Nov. 20 to protest the NATO Summit in the Portuguese capital, where leaders of European and North American imperialist powers were plotting to use their military forces — which are responsible for two-thirds of the global resources spent on war and preparations for war — to police the world to serve the interests of finance capital.

Hundreds of anti-war, anti-imperialist, trade union and other progressive organizations throughout Portugal, with support from groups throughout Europe, sponsored the protest. Its main slogans were “Peace yes, NATO no!” “NATO out of Portugal” and “End NATO.” The main Portuguese trade union federation, CGTP-IN, which participated in strength in the protest, is also preparing a general strike for Nov. 24 to fight the government’s austerity program.