MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Portuguese Greens Ecologist Party staged peace protests against NATO in three cities amid the active phase of Trident Juncture-2015 military exercises in the country, Claudia Madeira, a member of the party’s Central Committee, told Sputnik Brazil on Tuesday.
"Yesterday we carried out three protests against NATO… the level of participation in these rallies was quite high. We stand for peace and for peaceful means to resolve conflicts that exist in the world today. We are against the participation of Portuguese soldiers in these exercises," Madeira said.
On Monday, Madeira urged Portugal to exit NATO, as the organization is "the cause for many military conflicts and interventions."
The second phase of the drills, ending November 6, is taking place in southern Europe – Spain, Italy, and Portugal – as well as on the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
The massive exercises, with the participation of 36,000 personnel, have triggered several protests in Portugal since October.
