February 15, 2013
Angry about joblessness and cuts in wages, pensions and unemployment benefits, together with a growing tax burden, a group of people attending the debate in the Portuguese Parliament spontaneously began to sing “Grândola, Vila Morena,” a symbol of the peaceful Apr. 25, 1974 “carnation revolution” that overthrew the dictatorship that came to power in 1926. The protesters stressed that “there were no insults or strong words; we simply sang, and the head of government had to stop speaking, drowned out by the chorus of voices singing ‘Grândola, Vila Morena’.”
