National Action Movement

Movimento de Acção Nacional (National Action Movement) was a short-lived nationalist organisation in Portugal.

Formed in 1985, the group drew most of its membership from neo-fascist groups, and became associated with street violence against immigrants. Although it was avowedly a cultural organisation the MAC soon developed close links with the country's white power skinhead movement.^[1] The violence culminated in the assassination of a Trotskyite activist for which a number of members were brought to trial in 1992 (although those sympathetic to the group claimed that the death had been as a result of a fight between Trotskyites and MAC supporters^[2]). Whilst this trial was on-going MAN officially disbanded but nonetheless the leaders of the group were brought to trial at the Portuguese Constitutional Court for forming a group that espoused 'Fascist ideology', which had been banned by the Constitution of Portugal. The trial attracted much mainstream media attention as it was the first case that the Constitutional Court had heard publicly but ultimately it was unable to pass a judgement as the movement had already disbanded.^[3]

Pedro Grilo was ultimately jailed for 12 years for the murder, a stabbing of activist Jose Carvalho in Rua da Palma, although he escaped from prison after serving four months.^[4]

Although the group had officially ceased to exist, several members went on to join the National Alliance, which was formed in 1995. On its own this group made little impact, although in 1999 it was able to take control of the old Democratic Renovator Party and reconstitute it as the National Renewal Party^[5]

References

1. ^ European Monitioring Centre om Racism and Xenophobia report on Portugal
2. ^ Interview with Lusitanoi - a Portuguese band
3. ^ A. Costa Pinto, 'The Radical Right in Contemporary Portugal', L. Cheles, R. Ferguson & M. Vaughan (eds.), The Far Right in Western & Eastern Europe, London: Longman, 1995, p. 121
4. ^ 'Gang killing explodes myth of racial tolerance'
5. ^ 'Extrema direita partidária'

External links

• Racism and political violence in Portugal (Portuguese)
• MAN manifesto (Portuguese)
• MAN flags