May Day protests in Lisbon turned personal, with a Socialist Euro-candidate jostled and accused of being a closet capitalist. Ironically, Vital Moreira is a one-time Communist, but he was abused by some in the crowd for selling out and chasing a well-paid job in the European parliament. Worries about job losses prompted some demonstrators to harrangue Moreria and other politicians for betraying Portuguese workers.

Some union leaders later apologised for the protestors’ behaviour, while Moreira himself played down the incident, wwhich was caused he said by a small group of extremists. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, most of Portugal’s May Day marches passed off peacefully.More about: European elections, Portugal

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