The Portuguese Revolution (also
known as the carnation revolution) took place on the 25th of April
1974. This revolution changed Portugal from a dictatorship to a democracy. The
25th of April is celebrated every year in Portugal and is a Bank
Holiday to remind everyone of the day Portugal gained its freedom.
Before the 25th of
April there was no freedom of speech in Portugal. Some songs, books, everything
that expressed freedom from the dictatorship were banned. People could be put
in prison just for writing a song, book, poem, that was against the dictator or
that was expressing freedom from the dictatorship. The first dictator of
Portugal was António de Oliveira
Salazar, when he died the power passed to Marcelo José das Neves Alves Caetano,
more commonly known as Marcelo Caetano, who was the dictator that was
overthrown by the Portuguese revolution.
On the 25th of April
the revolution against the dictatorship started. It lasted 1 day and was
nicknamed ‘The war with no Blood’ as no one was killed. At midnight on the 24th
of April the military forces took control of the radios and television. A song
called ‘E Depois do Adeus’ (After the
Goodbye) by Paulo de Carvalho was played at 10:55 pm. This was used as a
secret signal and alerted the military forces. At midnight, the song ‘Grândola,
Vila Morena’ by Zeca Afonso was played. This song was forbidden at the time so
it was used as a signal to the military forces to take over points of power in
Portugal and it was also used to announce that the revolution had started and
that nothing would stop it.
Despite the military forces
warnings for people to stay at home, thousands o Portuguese people poured out
into the street. One of the main places that people gathered was the Lisbon
flower market, which was heavily stocked with carnations. People put the
carnation flowers in the barrels of the guns of the officers and on the
uniforms of the officers. This is why the carnation flower is a symbol of the
revolution."
obrigado, pelo vídeo.
ReplyDeleteRD