The “Forest Emergency/Forest of the Future” network is mobilising the population to organise protests across the country at the end of the summer against forest fires and to demand measures to combat the abandonment of rural areas and reduce eucalyptus forests.

“We are organising an initiative and will do several things outside of the emergency period because the current situation cannot continue. This is completely unacceptable and unreasonable, and we must act,” one of the network members, João Camargo, told Lusa.

The movement brings together participants from more than 15 cities and towns across the country and is currently “calling on people to self-organise,” João Camargo said, explaining that the goal is “to prevent the scourge of forest fires from being left without a public response, without protests, and for the issue to become a mere technical issue.”

The movement speaks of a "convergence of catastrophic factors," highlighting the abandonment of the countryside and the increase in eucalyptus forests: "At this moment, it's impossible to talk about the future, because the future is ashes and fire, and that's why we need far-reaching policies," argued the president, who believes in public mobilisation and protests to demonstrate that the issue is a priority.

Last year, more than 12 cities participated in the initiative, and this year, several locations have already been confirmed for the "De-Eucalyptus, Decarbonise, Democratise" protest, which will take place on September 20.

According to João Camargo, there will be actions in Arganil, Lousã, Lisbon, and Porto. The network is being contacted via its Instagram page by individuals, associations, and other organizations for more demonstrations, gatherings, or local actions.

The movement is also in contact with Spanish organisations, particularly in Galicia, and the protest will be linked to the international "Draw the Line" campaign, which will take place between September 19th and 21st worldwide.

The movement criticises the "repeated choice to abandon the rural world and abandon eucalyptus plantations" and therefore promises to take to the streets to protest government policies that make Portugal "the country with the most fires in the European Union."

The network is therefore calling for another protest for the forest and once again speaking out against the industries that create conditions for the territory to continue to be ravaged by fires.

"In relative terms, it is the country with the largest eucalyptus forest area in the world. It is the country with the smallest public forest area in Europe. This results in record profits for the pulp industry," the network accuses in a statement sent to Lusa.

Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, especially in the North and Central regions, amid high temperatures that led to the declaration of a state of alert on August 2nd.

According to provisional official data, as of August 19, more than 201,000 hectares had burned in the country, more than the area burned in all of 2024.

This year, the fires have already caused at least two deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, most of them minor, and have completely or partially destroyed first and second homes, as well as farms, livestock farms, and forested areas.

The "Forest Emergency/Forest of the Future" network was created in 2022 in the aftermath of an initiative to draw attention to the problem of fires: "We organized a caravan for climate justice that covered about 400 kilometers, between Figueira da Foz and Lisbon, passing through the areas most affected by the forest fires," recalled the official, assuring that they will not stop until their demands are met.