“Go back to your country”: unknown attack pro-Ukrainian event in Portugal

Unidentified individuals disrupted a pro-Ukrainian event in Porto. The Labyrinth of Freedom rally, held under the slogan “Protect Europe – Vote Against Russian Influence,” was taking place in the heart of the Portuguese city.

“Yesterday, May 15, participants of the Labyrinth of Freedom rally, organized by the Ukrainian organization Mriya from Austria, were attacked. The event is held in many EU cities to remind people about Ukraine ahead of the European Parliament elections,” said Pavlo Sadokha, UWC Vice-President and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal.

At around 21:00, several women speaking Portuguese began shouting at the organizers, “What are you foreigners doing here? Go back to your country,” and consequently damaged the exhibition at the rally, added Sadokha.

“This all happened near the entrance to the Trinidade metro station in Porto, where the organizers had a permit to hold the event. After the incident, the exhibition organizers filed a report with the local police,” said the UWC Vice President.

Previously, Russians in Lisbon vandalized the area near the bust of Taras Shevchenko with the letter Z – a symbol of the Russian army and the invasion of Ukraine.