On the morning of May 1st, a man held up a banner with the words “We want the government to reduce foreign labor” outside the Labour Affairs Bureau in Areia Preta, and waved the Chinese national flag and the Macau Special Administrative Region flag. Many police officers were present to stand guard and take photographs. The protest footage was widely circulated on social media, attracting attention and discussion among netizens.
At around 7 p.m. that evening, the Public Security Police Force explained the incident to the media via text message, stating that at 9:25 a.m. that morning, a local man displayed a banner and shouted slogans outside the Labour Affairs Bureau on Avenida Dr. Francisco Vieira Machado.
As the man had not applied in advance for permission to protest according to the law, police officers repeatedly warned him without effect, and then took him back to the police station for investigation.
After preliminary investigation, the police pointed out that the man was suspected of violating Article 14, paragraph 1 and Article 5, paragraph 1 of the “Law on the Right of Assembly and Demonstration,” and may have violated the aggravated disobedience crime listed in Article 312, paragraph 2 of the Penal Code. The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further processing.
