Afonso Henriques, who is Portuguese and a frequent commenter here at Gates of Vienna, just sent us this report (edited slightly for spelling and clarity):
Many commenters — and Dymphna and Baron — both Europeans or Americans, have said that the European peoples are defenseless because they have no right to bear arms. Fire weapons that is.- - - - - - - - -
Ok, that is true. The debate has been great and constant here over this.
But I have one thing to show you:
Do you know where it happened?
Bolivia? Venezuela? Mexico? Colombia?
No. It happened in Western Europe, Portugal, just at the outskirts of Lisbon, the city that would lend its name to the Lisbon Treaty.
I must tell you that Portugal is considered the most “safe” country in Europe.
What you saw was a confrontation between a coalition of gypsies and blacks (at least fifty individuals) against a rival group of blacks. You can see they are heavily armed and you can see that they are fighting in a urban area like some of the Taliban fought in Kabul, with total impunity. Only one man was arrested, a man that was arrested two days earlier as well.
I’d say these ethnic minorities already do have weapons of war; it’s easy to get them on the black market all over Europe. They are still only fighting each other, but considering that the general population (the Europeans) are disarmed and the police care less and less about our security (as the events at Gare du Midi have so shockingly demonstrated), when will this war be directed against us?
You know, our cars are still the best, our wallets are still the heaviest, our women are still the most attractive to be raped and our children are still the more prone to be beaten or robbed. Do you really think that their arsenal will not turn against us?
My premise is that if the poorest people can manage to have war weapons in Europe, the European people (much richer) can import weapons as well, and easier. That is not really a problem.
I have also to say that these events may well take place once a week or twice a month in some areas here… and Portugal is a much “safer” country than any other Western European country.
To readers who know something about guns: what sorts of weapons are these people using?
Update: Alma, a Latin American reader who understands Portuguese, sends us additional information based on the news broadcast and the information accompanying the video:
Two rival gangs in the neighborhood of Quenta da Fonte in Lourdes, Portugal… The newsman said that the gangs have done this before in this neighborhood. The police cordoned off the area in order to control the area & for the paramedics to be able to enter.
This report shows two shootouts. Also, these were really short range shootouts, from the looks of it.
The newsman said there had been one arrest, but the text on the YouTube says there were two detained. Two males, aged 24-25 bearing automatic pistols 9mm and 7.5mm and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
The previous evening a dispute between neighbors became an all-out fight leaving nine wounded.
The shootouts are very “sporadic”.
This neighborhood houses some 2,500 people of varying ethnicities who were relocated there after their old neighborhoods were torn down for the road access to Expo 98.
Most of the residents are socially & economically disadvantaged & on welfare. The neighbohood has frequent muggings robberies and businesses are broken into often por parte de jovens (by youths).
Alma adds:
Those damn “youths” are everywhere.
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