"The attack on a house where immigrants live, in the Bonfim parish, in Porto, is a hate crime that cannot be downplayed in any way. It is an unacceptable attack", said Rui Moreira at the beginning of the municipal executive meeting.

Saying that any attempt to justify or explain this attack is unacceptable, the independent reinforced that it is also unacceptable to say that it occurs in response to other crimes that are happening in that area and that the parliament or interpretations about colonialism are to blame.

"These speeches serve those who are interested in opening barricades in our society", he added.

The mayor said that it is necessary to trust that the police authorities are doing everything so that those responsible, directly and indirectly, are identified and that justice knows how to "punish them in an exemplary manner".

In addition, Rui Moreira said that, as soon as he learned of what had happened, he spoke with the police officers responsible who assured him that the video surveillance devices were "very useful" in the investigation, which should be reflected on by the political forces that opposed the availability of this instrument with municipal resources.

Rui Moreira understood that this episode requires "concrete actions, a lot of responsibility and rationality in the management of scarce public resources".

Therefore, the mayor of Porto defended the extinction of AIMA and the use of the resources it has to enable the municipalities to respond and strengthen the police forces with the resources they do not currently have to combat crime.

"I repeat, AIMA is an inoperative agency that wastes public money without fulfilling the mission it set out to do and, therefore, must be extinguished", he insisted.

Rui Moreira questioned why in a country where parliamentary commissions of inquiry are created "so easily", the Assembly of the Republic does not investigate this national agency that "remains dead in the face of the apparent lack of control of migratory flows".

According to the mayor, active policies are needed to guarantee the integration of immigrants, but also to reassure the populations.

"A policy that counters racism and xenophobia, that prevents its proliferation, that does not allow the opportunism of those who, pretending to fight it, hope that it will grow to feed their radicalism", he stressed.

In the early hours of Friday, there were three attacks and assaults on immigrants in the Campo 24 de Agosto area, on Rua do Bonfim and on Rua Fernandes Tomás, in Porto.

According to the PSP, the attacks were carried out by several groups, and five immigrants were taken to hospital due to their injuries.

Following the attacks, six men were identified and one was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon.

Given the suspicion of a hate crime, the case is now being investigated by the Judiciary Police.

[News updated at 11:15 am]

Read Also: "Danger of normalizing the far right"? Attacks should be 'alert' (Portuguese version)