The holding of the Avante! Festival has been the cloak for a gigantic reactionary operation that, more than the Festival itself, aims to attack the PCP and above all to pave the way for limiting the exercise of the rights and freedoms of the workers and people, namely the right to resist the liquidation of their rights, as seen with the campaign against this year’s May Day.
This ill-disguised undemocratic drive is fully disclosed when, while they try everything to prevent the Festival from being held, they lie insisting on the idea that festivals are forbidden and pretend not to see what is taking place, and rightly so, in the country: dozens of festivals and shows that are taking place, outdoors or in closed spaces such as the Campo Pequeno arena; crowded beaches, including with foreign tourists; shopping centres in operation; the religious activities resumed, namely the August pilgrimage in Fátima with many thousands of participants. As they pretend not to see what is expected in terms of the development of the various activities, starting with the beginning of the school year with physical presence and later with motor racing and motorcycling events.
This operation cannot hide that the Avante! Festival, an important political and cultural event, is being prepared with the guarantee of health prevention and protection measures that ensure the enjoyment in conditions of safety and tranquillity that meet and exceed those that exist for multiple activities.
In the preparation of the Avante! Festival, in its political and cultural dimension, the set of measures was respected in the multiplicity of organisational procedures within the framework of the legal provisions in force, based on responsibly assumed requirements, as has been seen in all the initiatives that the PCP has carried out. This is what has been sought, both in the necessary articulation with health authorities and, above all, due to the particular requirement that the PCP has placed from the beginning to guarantee the indispensable conditions of prevention and protection.
We are witnessing an orchestrated and articulated action at various levels, which involves transforming the health administrative structures, which are responsible for deciding on health issues, into bodies that set down discriminations. We cannot fail to point out that the DGS (Directorate General of Health) Ruling contains, in several fields, higher levels of demand regarding the Festival than it has established for other initiatives, particularly in fixing the capacity and occupancy of the grounds and spaces, which are in contrast with the shows being held around the country, be they the Book Fairs currently taking place in Lisbon and Porto, or with other initiatives.
In its content, the Ruling reflects the acceptance that at the Avante! Festival meets equal or greater conditions than those set down for the beaches, for the numerous shows and festivals that take place around the country or simply for going to shopping centres. Without prejudice of taking note of the recommendations that will be met, depending on the concrete assessment of the Contingency Plan presented by the PCP (which will be released still today), it fulfils and respects the set of rules in force. In a context in which the guarantee of health protection must simultaneously respect the constitutionally enshrined rights, freedoms and guarantees.
The Avante! Festival, a responsible act organised with the highest protection requirements that the PCP does not neglect and promotes, is a contribution to affirm the well-being, health and enjoyment of life.
The scale of the offensive against the PCP requires an answer. An answer that must be assumed by every member of the Party and by all those who prize democratic values, from the outset by their presence at the Festival and in particular at the Sunday Rally, making that presence an affirmation of freedom and an act of resistance and struggle to defend the rights of the workers and the people.
