PROTEST IN LISBON

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33875, 21 June 1975, Page 15

PROTEST IN LISBON

‘I (\ ZP A -Reuter—Copyright) >t I LISBON, -June 20. Ji ' e Troops 111 Lisbon fired |< into the air again last (night to disperse rival demonstrators outside ’ ■ the “Republica” news- n paper, which has been at i i the core of a major con- , . flirt between Portugal’s : Socialist and Communist Parlies. Ihe Leftist Copcon inter-; •!nal security force allowed (Communist printers to take; (control of the newspaper, .(last Wednesday, despite a Supreme Military Revolu-P (tionary Council promise that it could reopen under its, [(Socialist management. ! The printers yesterday; t moved out of the building

:(for the night, leaving a Copjeon guard. ' Noisy arguments erupted (among several hundred | people outside, blocking (traffic, but calm returned. The 30-man revolutionary; (council, which in theory’ holds supreme power, L> due : ■’to meet today for a probable; final session of meetings to! I re-assess the course of the! (country’s revolution. ■ A final communique is ex-; pected to reveal the results! lof their talks, forced by; pressure from groups to the left of the Communist Party; for a more energetic pursuit ( : j of revolutionary goals. The Socialist Party has, ; called for a' demonstration next Monday in support of! the revolutionary council’s; statement reaffirming a com-: jmitment to multi-party de-! (mocracy and condemning; : “dictatorship of the proleta-1 riat.”

The demonstrators are due to pass the Constituent Assembly, where the Socialist Party holds a big elected majority, and then march to President Francisco da Costa Gomes’s Belem palace. After a hectic week, during which 700 Roman Catholics were trapped all night by extreme Left-wingers in

the palace of Lisbon’s arch-i bishop, there was a breath-, ing space early today as! each side studied gains and losses. The Socialists appear to have little chance of win-1 ning back the “Republica,”! one of the few newspapers’ not under Communist: influence, but they have so!

I far refrained from threat-! iening to quit the Govern- ' ment. as they did twice last month. Th e i r demonstration planned for Monday shows ! that they believe they can i win the bulk of the military Ito their side in a common . fight to ward off groups further left. These groups, which have. Copcon support, want a non-1 party revolutionary government which would exclude the Communists. Socialists, and Centre-Left Popular I Democrats (P.P.D.) at present in the coalition. Many' revolutionary council officers are regarded as: (close to the Communist Party, and the Socialists (evidently believe that they! ; have a common interest in , withstanding any moves to| (expel the civilian parties: I from power.