18th April 2021: Hundreds of people gathered in Lisbon to protest against the potential outlawing of the Chega Party. The demonstration, which drew supporters from across the country, highlighted the growing polarisation surrounding the party led by André Ventura, cementing its position as a rising political force.
"The Praetorians" delves into a movement that claims to defend the nation, yet reveals unsettling undertones. It captures contemporary Portuguese nationalism, where pride and rebellion intertwine to form a dark, disquieting portrait.
The images document moments of celebration and tension, symbols and gestures that reinterpret the past for a turbulent present. The lens explores ritualised aesthetics, codes of belonging, and the exaltation of an ideal, probing the line between identity and imposition, patriotism and exclusion.
This is neither praise nor condemnation—it is a stark mirror of a growing phenomenon. To be countered, it must first be understood.
At nineteen, I embarked on my first major project: documenting Portuguese nationalism in unfiltered detail. Existing works offered only fragments—never a full portrait. I drew inspiration from Manuel Florentín’s Black Europe Guide and Espen Rasmussen’s Rage, which covered nationalist movements across Europe—except Portugal. It fell to me to fill that gap.
The 27 photographs here were taken under latent tension. Despite polite receptions, distrust lingered—a reporter is always an outsider. My stance was clear: I disagree, but seek to understand.
Some preconceptions were confirmed; others shattered. I met unexpectedly kind yet politically naïve individuals, their views fuelled by visceral hatred. While modern nationalists reject old stereotypes, positioning themselves as "defenders" of a besieged homeland, their rhetoric remains rooted in exclusion.
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