A Lisbon court has ordered Portugal's far-right Chega party to take down street posters targeting the Roma community, ruling that the messages are discriminatory and could incite hatred.
Judge Ana Barão gave party leader André Ventura 24 hours to remove the posters or face a fine of €2,500 per poster per day, saying the wording "attacks an ethnic minority" and deepens stigma and prejudice against Roma people.
24 hours to remove or face fine of €2,500 per poster per day
Chega, which has rapidly risen to become Portugal's second-largest parliamentary force, said Ventura would respond later. He has described the case as an attack on free expression but previously said he would comply with the court's decision.
Roma groups behind the legal challenge welcomed the ruling as a step toward greater justice, as Ventura continues his presidential campaign ahead of January's election. This is a developing news story, and we'll update tomorrow with more information.
Judge Ana Barão on the posters:
"(The posters) aggravate the stigma and prejudice that Roma communities already face in Portuguese society in general, thus fostering intolerance, segregation, discrimination and, ultimately, hatred."