Portugal bars activists ahead of Nato summit

Anti-Nato activists slammed Portugal on Thursday for barring activists travelling to a meeting in opposition to the Nato summit in Lisbon this week, and urged the government to "reestablish freedom of expression".

Vladimir Rodionov / Reuters

Portugal has refused entry to at least 127 foreigners since tight border controls went up Monday midnight, authorities said.
 

The summit of 28 world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, starts Friday and has been dubbed the most significant since the end of the Cold War. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be present and the alliance’s intervention in Afghanistan will be discussed.

Portugal hopes to avoid a repeat of unrest during last year's Nato meeting in France, officials say.

Those turned back include German Lucas Wirl, who was scheduled to address an International Counter Summit, and two Spanish peace activists, said organisers of the meeting.

A coach transporting about 35 Finnish pacifists was also barred at the border with Spain, as were two Spanish activists from the antimilitarist group MOC, according to Andreas Speck of War Resisters' International.

Organisers claim that "all the people stopped are followers of nonviolence" and called on Lisbon to “reestablish freedom of expression".

Portugal says it has tightened border controls between 16-20 November to "guarantee internal security and maintain public order" during the November 19-20 summit.

Portuguese authorities have not said on what grounds the activists were turned back except for a Spanish-Portuguese couple stopped on Tuesday and found to be in possession of knives and "anarchist anti-police pamphlets".

The International Counter Summit calls for "Getting Active for Global Peace, Disarmament and the End of Nato", according to its website.
 

Besides the meeting, a demonstration for peace is expected on Saturday in Lisbon called by 100 Portuguese unions.