Um Inimigo do Povo

In December 2024, while Marco Martins was considering adapting Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, focusing on the conflict between the individual and the collective, the PSP carried out a controversial police operation on Rua do Benformoso in Lisbon. Around 60 immigrants, mainly from Bangladesh, were forced to stand against a wall with their hands on their heads for two hours. Images of the episode, captured by residents, went viral and sparked public debate about the legitimacy of the action and the exposure of people with no criminal record. This case became symbolic of the way immigration has been treated in Europe: the target of manipulative political discourse, both from the far right and the media. Marco Martins’ proposed play will be based on the testimonies and biographies of these people, who are now involved in the cast.

With journalistic research by Joana Pereira Bastos and Raquel Moleiro, and support from community leader Rana Uddin, the project proposes a critical reflection on the political use of the image of immigrants and the absence of their voice in the public sphere.