Three more sessions of the trial against the “Lisbon 11” - eleven persons detained during the police repression of the 25th April 2007 anti-authoritarian demonstration against fascism and capitalism in Lisbon - were held on April 29th, May 19th and June 15th.
The hearings of the last accusation witnesses (mostly anti-riot cops) and of the defense witnesses took place during those sessions. On the 15th of June, a video with parts of the demonstration and the police assault was shown in court by the defense.
We can say that, six months after the beginning of this trial, the police version of the events - which is the base for the accusation - demonstrated to be manifestly false. The testimonies of the accusation were full with contradictions and can hardly be used as evidence against the defendants. It became clear in the testimonies that the police attacked the demonstration because of what it represented and not because the demonstrators were causing damages and public disorder, as the police argued.
The police committed itself deeply to the task of condemning the accused. It also became clear the police intention of exploiting this trial for the broader objective of criminalizing anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist activity, and specially the small anarchist movement.
The exaggerated presence of the police was constant during the sessions of the trial, both in the surroundings of the court and inside the court room, with high officers of the police attending the hearings (including the commander of the police special assault unit). This lead the judge himself to ask for less presence of police officers in the court, in order to stop with the illegal intimidation of witnesses and defendants.
On April 25th we knew through the newspapers that a report about the political activity of 30 individuals without any relation to this case had been submitted by the police as part of the process. This shows the police intention to make a political trial out of this, which has been denounced by some law experts as illegal. During the last two months other news about anarchists made the headlines of newspapers, clearly preparing the way for repression. We will try to refer to this matter on another report.
The next session of the trial for last statements of accusation and defense will take place on the 5th of July. This should be the last session of the trial before the court decision.
International Solidarity
We thank all those who have demonstrated solidarity against this trial, including all those who sent letters to the court (they were mentioned in the court and added to the process). This is a list of actions that were held in response to our call for solidarity:
28th April – Salamanca (Spain) – CNT-AIT demonstrated in front of Portuguese Consulate.
29th April – Kiev (Ukraine) – Prima Dya delivered a letter to the Portuguese Ambassador.
15th May – Barcelona (Spain) – CNT-AIT demonstrated in the Portuguese Consulate.
18th May – Madrid (Spain) – CNT-AIT demonstrated at the Portuguese Embassy.
19th May – Compostela (Spain) – CNT-AIT demonstrated at Toral Square.
19th May – Warsaw (Poland) – Trial against “Lisbon 11” remembered at anti-repression action.
19th May – Granada (Spain) - CNT-AIT demonstrated at the city court.
