October 21, 2017
The U.S. Embassy in Lisbon informs U.S. citizens that demonstrations are expected to take place in ten of Portugal’s districts on October 21, 2017. The majority of gatherings will begin at 4:00 p.m. The Portugal Group Against the Fires will be demonstrating with the stated purpose of protesting against the management of the recent fires and forest policies, while paying homage to fire victims. The largest demonstration is expected to take place at Lisbon’s Praça do Comércio. The protest organizers anticipate there will be approximately 9,000 people at that event. Other demonstrations will take place in Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Leiria, Braga, Guarda, and Bragança.
Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity.
Additional information about the demonstrations can be found at:
For further information about security in Portugal:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Portugal’s Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Portugal, located at Avenida das Forças Armadas, in the neighborhood of Sete Rios near the Jardim Zoológico, at + (351) 21-770-2122, 08:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(351) 21-727-3300.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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