Summary:
Mário Machado to serve 2 years and 10 months in prison for hate speech.
No final appeal will be pursued to expedite his prison term.
800 far-right activists protest in Albufeira against immigration.
Counter-protest emphasizes diversity and inclusion in the Algarve.
Constitutional Court rejects Machado's appeal against his conviction.
Mário Machado, a convicted neonazi, announced plans to report to Caldas da Rainha prison on February 25 to serve his sentence of two years and ten months for hate speech and incitement to violence against women. In a statement to journalists in Albufeira, Machado revealed he would not pursue a final appeal, aiming for an early prison term.
On the same day, approximately 800 far-right activists gathered in Albufeira, led by the extreme-right group 1143, to protest against immigration. Despite the tensions, a counter-protest in support of diversity occurred peacefully, emphasizing that “Algarve is for everyone.”
The Constitutional Court rejected Machado’s appeal against his conviction. His lawyer, José Manuel Castro, is considering further legal options, but Machado believes that pursuing this would be “a waste of time.”
The charges stemmed from social media posts calling for violence against left-wing women, specifically targeting Renata Cambra, a professor and activist. In a response to the rising tensions, counter-protesters carried signs stating, “There is no space for fascists in Albufeira.”
The protests highlight a community divided over issues of hate and immigration, with local leaders stressing that economic inequalities, not immigration, represent the real problems facing the Algarve region.
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